Congo appoints Claude Le Roy as head coach, Omar Daf named assistant

By Angu Lesley

Football Writer,,kick442.com-Cameroon

The Republic of Congo has officially turned to veteran French tactician Claude Le Roy to lead the revival of the Diables Rouges after announcing his appointment as head coach of the senior national team.

According to a communiqué issued by the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Civic Education, the official contract-signing ceremony will take place on June 22, 2026, in Brazzaville under the chairmanship of Sports Minister Hugues Ngouélondélé and in the presence of Congolese Football Federation representative Henri Endzanga.

Le Roy will be assisted by former Senegal international Omar Daf, with both men tasked with rebuilding the national team ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

At 78, Claude Le Roy is regarded as one of Africa’s most experienced coaches. Nicknamed “Mister Africa”, the Frenchman has managed several national teams across the continent, including Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana, DR Congo, Togo and Congo-Brazzaville. He famously guided Cameroon to the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations title in Morocco and later led the Republic of Congo to the quarter-finals of the 2015 AFCON in Equatorial Guinea during his first spell with the Diables Rouges.

His assistant, Omar Daf, is a 49-year-old Senegalese coach and former international defender. A member of Senegal’s golden generation, Daf represented the Teranga Lions at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where Senegal reached the quarter-finals, and at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished runners-up. He earned 55 caps for his country before embarking on a coaching career in France with Sochaux, Dijon and Amiens SC.

The Congolese government says the appointment marks the beginning of a new chapter aimed at rebuilding a competitive national team, strengthening the technical structure, promoting local talent and restoring confidence between the Diables Rouges and the Congolese people.

The immediate mission entrusted to Le Roy and his staff is to guide Congo back to the Africa Cup of Nations by securing qualification for the 2027 edition, while laying the foundations for a sustainable and disciplined sporting project.