The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Tom Saintfiet

  • Saintfiet decries CAF ‘colonial mentality’  over AFCON changes

    Saintfiet decries CAF ‘colonial mentality’  over AFCON changes

    Mali coach Tom Saintfiet has  railed against the decision to play the Africa Cup of Nations every four years instead of two, insisting the move was forced upon the continent by FIFA and European clubs motivated by money.

     “I am very shocked with it and very disappointed. It is the pride of African football, with the best players in African football,” the Belgian told reporters in Rabat ahead of today’s AFCON clash between Mali and Morocco.

    “To take it away and make it every four years, I could understand if it was a request for any reason from Africa, but it is all instructed by the big people from (European governing body) UEFA, the big clubs in Europe and also FIFA and that makes it so sad.”

    Saintfiet, 52, has managed numerous African national teams including Gambia, who he led to the quarter-finals of the 2022 Cup of Nations.

    He was appointed by Mali in August last year and  today will lead them out against current AFCON hosts in a key Group A game at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

    The Cup of Nations has almost always been held at two-year intervals since the first edition in 1957 but Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe last weekend announced that the tournament would go ahead every four years after a planned 2028 tournament.

    Read Also: NFF Management, Staff stage walk against corruption

     “We fought for so long to be respected, to then listen to Europe to change your history – because this is a history going back 68 years – only because of financial requests from clubs who use the load on players as the excuse while they create a World Cup with 48 teams, a Champions League with no champions,” Saintfiet said. “If you don’t get relegated in England you almost get into Europe, it is so stupid,” he joked.

    “If you want to protect players then you play the Champions League with only the champions. You don’t create more competitions with more load. Then you can still play AFCON every two years.

     “Africa is the biggest football continent in the world, all the big stars in Europe are Africans, so I think we disrespect (Africa) by going to every four years.

     “I am very sad about that –- I hoped that the love for Africa would win over the pressure of Europe.”

  • Saintfiet resumes with Bangladesh

    Saintfiet resumes with Bangladesh

    Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet has now ruled himself out of the running for the Super Eagles’ job after resuming as coach of Bangladesh.

    Sainfiet has been shortlisted along with Paul le Guen and Salisu Yusuf to lead Nigeria in the 2018 World Cup qualifying series with the successful candidate to be announced on Monday.

    The Belgian coach, who has worked in South Africa, Tanzania and Ethiopia, was quoted as saying earlier that the Super Eagles job remains his top priority, but reports from Dhaka said Saintfiet has already started work as Bangladesh coach.

    “I saw exactly what you saw,” africanFootball.com quoted Saintfiet as saying to the Dhaka Tribune when he was asked about his situation with Nigeria.

    “As a coach, I was without a job for two months. I sent my CV to different federations all over the world and Nigeria was one of them. On Friday, I saw I was in the shortlist but I don’t have proper information about it (regarding interview with NFF).

    “The first focus is on two (AFC Asian Cup qualifying playoff) matches against Bhutan in September and October. When the matches are finished, hopefully with the qualification, we will work together in future. First focus is on three months and to try to get good results.”

  • Nigeria’s job is top priority – Saintfiet

    Nigeria’s job is top priority – Saintfiet

    Belgian tactician, Tom Saintfiet, on Thursday dismissed reports linking him with the Bangladesh national team job, saying he has not accepted any coaching job at least for now.

    The ex- Malawi national team coach insisted that the Super Eagles coaching job remains his top priority, footballlive.ng reports.

    Saintfiet, 43, is one of three shortlisted coaches for the Eagles jobs, but reports that he has been offered the Bangladeshi coaching job by that country’s football federation sparked concerns in Nigeria that the Belgian is looking elsewhere.

    But the coach has dismissed the reports, claiming he has not accepted to work with any other federation.

    .

  • … Quits after loss to Nigeria

    … Quits after loss to Nigeria

    Tom Saintfiet has quit as coach of the Malawi national team following his side’s 0-2 loss to Nigeria in a 2014 World Cup qualifying game in Calabar on Saturday.

    Saintfiet whose appointment was ratified on July 2 by the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) explained that he had an “agreement till midnight on Saturday” with FAM.

    The Belgian also revealed that his major aim as Malawi coach was to mastermind a stunning success against the reigning African champions, Nigeria in Calabar, a feat he failed to achieve.

    “I didn’t take up the job to win many games.I was here to win one game (on Saturday) against Nigeria and that was the only goal,” Saintfiet said at the post-match press conference.

    He was, however, unclear when asked about his next move.

    “I don’t feel any pressure because (the Football Association of Malawi) had an agreement with me till midnight on Saturday.

    “From Sunday morning, I have no agreement with the federation and that was clear so I am a professional coach and my future? That we will see in the coming weeks but I am not worried about that,” he said.

    Saintfiet played football between 1983 to 1997 (FC Boom) before becoming a football manager at the age of 24, becoming the youngest manager in Belgian football.

  • Malawi coach reports Keshi to FIFA

    Malawi coach reports Keshi to FIFA

    Malawi national coach, Tom Saintfiet who was called  a “white dude” by Super Eagles chief coach, Stephen Keshi has finally reported the matter to the world football governing body (FIFA).

     A response to a mail sent by SportingLife from the organization’s media department on Tuesday acknowledged receipt of the report.  The date it was received was not stated in the mail.

    “We can confirm that we have received a complaint on the said matter,” the mail read.

    FIFA however declined to offer further comments until the matter is finally thrashed.

     

    “But please understand that we cannot comment any further at this stage,” FIFA said.

    Although the matter is being investigated, FIFA may act on it owing to its policy of fairness and fairplay.

     

    SportingLife gathered from an official of the  Nigeria Football Federation that they were awaiting FIFA’s reaction.

     

    “I am very sure that FIFA just got the report since it was last week that the Malawian coach threatened to report Keshi. FIFA will certainly get back to us as the football federation. But like Keshi had said, he meant no harm when he called Saintfiet a “white dude”. As far as he was concerned, it was not a racist attack,” said the official.

     

    Report on BBC Sports says the Africa Cup of Nations winner disagreed with Saintfied over his request that next week’s World Cup qualifier between both countries be moved from Calabar to another venue owing to security reasons.

     

    Keshi followed up his reaction on UK-based African TV show, Vox Africa’s Sports360, by saying: -I think the coach of Malawi is crazy. “If he wants to talk to FIFA, he should go back to Belgium. He is not an African person, he is a white dude, he should go back to Belgium, ‘’ Keshi said.