Former Kenya coach Sebastien Migne has revealed he was impressed with Equatorial Guinea and that is the reason he jumped on the chance to coach them last year.
“While we have some European-based players, circumstances in Africa make it difficult for them to adapt. Therefore, I’m focusing on finding the best local players, even if the coronavirus is currently delaying that project.”
Migne had worked with Le Roy in 2008 and he reveals the impact the veteran tactician had on him.
“With Le Roy, I learned how to work outside one’s home country and that football is an international sport and not limited to France, where I’d previously worked,” continued the coach.
“He taught me how to discover international football and how to appreciate other cultures. We started with Gulf countries where we got a taste of Arab culture, before moving to Africa. Embarking on my journey, I could not have had a better mentor than him.
“He taught me how to play attacking football, something I’m trying to implement now.
“He is like a father for me, we worked together for nine years, and our relationship goes beyond work. We spent a lot of time in Africa without our families, so I think that over the years we spent more time together than with our families.”
After breaking up with Le Roy, Migne was handed the task of coaching DR Congo’s U20 side in 2013 before taking over the senior team four years later.
“It was definitely a difficult call. It’s not easy to put nine years behind you, but when an opportunity to work as head coach presented itself, I jumped at it.
“When you’re head coach, you have a lot of pressure on your shoulders. I used to help Le Roy in training sessions, but now the responsibility for everything from team tactics to substitutions lies solely with me.”
