Former Cameroon coach Rigobert Song has been named the new manager of the Central African Republic, the country’s sports minister announced late Monday.
Song’s primary goal will be to lead the Wild Beasts to their first-ever qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations finals.
The Central African Republic narrowly missed out on the 2023 tournament after losing their final two qualifying matches.
The 48-year-old, a former Liverpool and West Ham defender, parted ways with Cameroon after the Indomitable Lions were eliminated at the last-16 stage of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, suffering a 2-0 loss to Nigeria.
Despite this, Song’s tenure with Cameroon included significant achievements. He guided the team to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a dramatic extra-time goal in a qualifier against Algeria, securing their spot. Although Cameroon exited during the group stage, they managed a memorable 1-0 victory over Brazil.
In his 23 matches as Cameroon’s coach, Song recorded six wins, nine losses, and eight draws.
As a player, Song earned 137 caps for Cameroon, making him one of the country’s most iconic football figures.
