FEATURE: Only four African coaches at AFCON 2017

Years after the late Stephen Keshi (RIP) led 'minor crusade' for African coaches to be trusted more, the tide hasn't changed heading into this year's Africa Cup of Nations.

As his Nigeria prepared to face Mali in the semifinals of the 2013 edition hosted in South Africa, Keshi attacked African federations for appointing Europeans without merit.

'Do not bring a mediocre coach from Europe and tell me he's better than me - I will not accept that,' Keshi, a winning captain (1994) and coach (2013) with Nigeria, said.

Keshi passed on last year but Africa hasn't changed. Of the 16 teams in Gabon, only four are locals with Aliou Cisse and Florent Ibenge the most renowned.

Cisse, a former captain of the Terranga Lions of Senegal returns to pinnacle of African football as coach of the 2002 finalists while Ibenge, a winner already with DR Congo after lifting the CHAN a year ago is in charge of the Leopards.

The other two are less known in Guinea Bissau's Baciro Cande and Zimbabwe's Callisto Pasuwa.

13 of the 16 come from Europe with France the leading nation to have representatives in the dugout with four, two more than Belgium with one each from Israel, Spain, Poland, Portugal and Serbia.

South America, the hub of football talent is represented with one - Argentinean Hector Cuper who is in charge seven time champions Egypt.

Foreign, mainly European, coaches have long had an influence on African football.

A Hungarian coach - Pal Titkos - led Egypt to Nations Cup glory in only the second edition of the tournament in 1959. Egypt have since added six titles to that tally although most have come with nationals.

In all, Africa's premier football event has been won by a local coach on 13 occasions, with foreign coaches triumphing 16 times including the previous edition, when Herve Renard lifted it with Ivory Coast.

Summary of coaches at AFCON 2017
Group A: Gabon - Antonia Camacho (Spain), Burkina Faso - Paul Duarte (Portugal), Cameroon - Hugo Broos (Belgium) and Guinea Bissau - Baciro Cande (Guinea Bissau.

Group B: Algeria - George Leekens (Belgium), Tunisia - Henryk Kasperczak (Poland), Senegal - Aliou Cisse (Senegal) and Zimbabwe - Callisto Pasuwa (Zimbabwe).

Group C: Ivory Coast - Michel Dussayer (France), DR Congo - Florent Ibenge (DR Congo), Morocco (Herve Renard) and Togo - Claude Re Loy (France).

Group D: Ghana - Avram Grant (Israel), Mali - Alain Giresse (France), Egypt - Hector Cuper (Argentina) and Uganda - Mulitin Sredojevic (Serbia).

By Ismael Kiyonga (Kawowo)