Comoros have kicked off their FIFA World Cup 26\u2122 qualifying campaign with two wins from two, defeating Central African Republic 4-2 in their opening game before recording a historic 1-0 win over powerhouses Ghana in November 2023.<\/p>\n
Though it is far too early to say that The Coelacanths have sewn up their place at the next global finals, Stefano Cusin\u2019s team are breaking new ground, to the delight of the island nation and their fans. Comoros had never won a World Cup qualifying match in a group phase before, let alone two, while Cusin and the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration de Football des Comore (FFC) are working hard together to grow and develop the game nationwide.<\/p>\n
Cusin spoke to FIFA.com in an exclusive interview and discusses his side’s start to qualifying, his love of African football, refusing to jinx Sadio Mane with a selfie and more.<\/p>\n
What does it mean to the team and the country to have kicked off this World Cup qualifying campaign with back-to-back wins?
\nStefano Cusin: When you do a job like this you have to manage people\u2019s state of mind and expectations. When you win you have to keep things low key, and when things aren\u2019t going well, you have to find out why and work on it. I don\u2019t get carried away very easily. The national team failed to qualify for the last Africa Cup of Nations and there wasn\u2019t as much enthusiasm in the air when I came into the job. The fans were a little disappointed with the way the team had been playing. That was the situation when I came in and I got down to work straightaway. I felt very much at ease with the FFC president, who\u2019s a wonderful person, and then I touched base with the players and, slowly but surely, we started putting a plan together.<\/p>\n
What made you take on the Comoros job?
\nI saw Comoros play at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon [in 2021] and I was struck by their team spirit. I\u2019ve coached in other parts of Africa and liked the idea of experiencing something different. I really enjoyed the first chat I had with the FFC president, and we\u2019ve spoken about the project, ideas and objectives right from the very start. I\u2019ve always liked Africa – it\u2019s football and sport in its purest form. There\u2019s passion here and humility. I\u2019ve met some great players along the way, like [Emmanuel] Adebayor, [Roger] Milla, [Didier] Drogba and [Sadio] Mane, and [Rigobert] Song is a great friend of mine. They\u2019re all so down to earth. There\u2019s so much potential here, too. Then you look at teams like France and the deep African roots they have.<\/p>\n
Are there any stories that stand out for you in particular?
\nI bumped into Mane on the morning of the final of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations against Egypt, in the car park of the hotel where Senegal were staying, while he was limbering up a little for the game. I said to him, \u201cYou\u2019re a great pro, but let\u2019s not do a selfie. I don\u2019t want to tempt fate.\u201d He replied, with real humility and kindness, \u201cLet\u2019s do it after the final then\u201d. It just goes to show how warm African people are on a human level.<\/p>\n
The culture in Africa is different to Europe, and not just in terms of sport. What are your thoughts on that?
\nThere\u2019s so much passion here that I\u2019ve not really had any problems. The dynamics here are different to Europe but I\u2019ve got all that pretty clear in my head. There\u2019s a lot of spirituality, which is all part of African folklore and culture. When I coached in South Africa, for example, there was even a wizard on the coaching staff. That\u2019s the kind of thing that makes African football so unique.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve had lots of enriching experiences around the world. Which one have you taken the most from?
\nEvery experience I\u2019ve had in the dugout has been important and I\u2019ve learned from them all. There are historical and cultural factors that come into play in every country.<\/p>\n
In England, I saw great football played at a frantic pace and with a crazy atmosphere in the stadiums, and United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were important milestones that I shared with my family. The great thing about having a career that takes you around the world is that you can soak up all these different cultures and types of football.<\/p>\n
How badly do you want to take Comoros to the World Cup?
\nI\u2019ve been coaching for 20 years, and my dream has always been to take an African team to the World Cup. While it might be a personal goal for me, we\u2019re using the World Cup qualifiers to develop our project and play without pressure. After winning our first two games, though, we know we\u2019ve given ourselves a big shot at qualifying. That said, there can\u2019t be any expectations on Comoros to make the World Cup. If it ever happened, it would be unbelievable. Our main aim is to make the next Africa Cup of Nations, but, obviously, you can never say never.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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