Otto Pfister about the upcoming Africa Cup: “It is a big problem, many clubs in Europe do not understand it.”

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By the summer at the latest, we in Europe will know again what it feels like when a continent is captivated by football. When everyone is talking about the national team again, when the streets are cleared during matches and the public viewings are full, when there are horns in the cities and the mood in the country depends on the result of the national team. What awaits us in June starts this Saturday in Africa. Then the Africa Cup of Nations will start in Ivory Coast with 24 countries, six large stadiums including the temple in Abidjan with 60,000 seats.

There are world stars such as Salah, Osimhen and Hakimi (see box). They have currently not been available for their clubs for weeks. The African Cup that follows the European Championships? A one-sided picture: “Many clubs in Europe have not understood the significance of the tournament in Africa,” answers Otto Pfister (86). Hardly any European knows African football better than he does. The Swiss-born coach has coached in twelve different countries on the continent. With Ghana he reached the final of the African Cup of Nations in 1992, with Cameroon in 2008 and with Togo he played against Switzerland at the 2006 World Cup.

Stars are revered – or banished

As national coach, Pfister managed world-class players such as Adebayor, Eto’o and Song. Such players are then the hope of entire countries. “They are just people, but people count on them,” Pfister explains to Blick. “It is actually not possible for someone not to come to the tournament. This is a popular festival.”

He talks about an instance where he refused to give up: his house was set on fire at home. “If you cancel, you will no longer be seen in the country.” But the players generally enjoyed the tournament very much, he says from experience. “Football is a religion in Africa.” And many see their families again for a few weeks.

For example, Premier League star Alex Iwobi (27) talked a few years ago about the hype after choosing his native Nigeria over England, where he grew up, in 2015: “The affection people show in Nigeria is unbelievable. The fans almost ate me with love.” With 67 international matches to his name, the Fulham player is once again part of the strong Nigerian team with attacking stars such as Osimhen (Napoli), Chukwueze (Milan) and Lookman (Atalanta).

Pfister was woken up by soldiers during the night

It involves a lot of prestige, even at the highest levels of politics. Pfister can tell you a few things about it. In 1987, as coach of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), he was arrested by soldiers in the middle of the night, driven to the government building and instructed by the then dictator Mobutu to win the match against Angola because the head of the government of Angola was not his best friend. This is just one of many episodes from his wild coaching career in Africa that Pfister told Blick before the final event in 2022.

Will the 86-year-old be watching on TV again this time? Not sure, because the Asian Cup takes place parallel to the Africa Cup of Nations in Qatar. Yes, the Cologne native also coached several countries on this continent. He has now received an invitation to the tournament from the President of the Asian Football Association. The globetrotter must decide which memories he wants to relive in January and February.

Source : Blick