Veteran Le Roy named new coach of Congo

Claude Le Roy, 78, has been appointed the new coach of the Republic of Congo, the federation announced on Monday with a brief to take the team, which did not qualify for the World Cup, to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

It will be his first head-coaching role since leaving Togo in 2021.

"The meeting room of the Ministry of Sports hosted... the official ceremony for the signing of Claude Le Roy's contract as expert sports consultant and national coach of the Red Devils," the Congolese Football Federation wrote on its social media accounts.

In Africa, the much-travelled Frenchman, has led Cameroon and RD Congo twice each, as well as Senegal, Ghana and Togo. It will be a second stint in charge of Congo, who he coached from 2013 to 2015.

Under the "White Wizard", the Red Devils reached the quarter-finals of AFCON 2015, their best result in the competition since 1974.

Le Roy, who won AFCON with Cameroon in 1998, is not the oldest current international coach. Dick Advocaat, in charge of Curacao at the World Cup, is five months older.

Former Senegal international defender Omar Daf will work as Le Roy's assistant.

Congo will be aiming for a first AFCON qualification since 2015, after missing the last five editions.

Their qualifying group for the 2027 tournament, which is due to be held in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, includes Cameroon, Comoros and Namibia.