Al Ahly of Egypt have appointed Frenchman Patrice Carteron as their new coach on a two-year-deal, the club announced Tuesday.
The 48-year-old former coach of DR Congo giants TP Mazembe succeeds Egyptian Hossam El-Badry who resigned on 15th May following a 2-0 loss to Uganda’s KCCA in an African Champions League match in Kampala.
“His knowledge of the obstacles of the game in Africa and his ambitious personality were some of the reasons that led Ahly to contract him.
“The management felt that the coach has the data of success of the team and can achieve the hopes of fans which is to win championships,” the club said.
Carteron is making a comeback to the Egyptian league after a good spell with Wadi Degla, who he guided to 20 wins in 30 matches during his reign from 2016-17.
His stint with Mazembe from 2013-16 before he joined Degla was highly acclaimed as he won two league titles, three CAF Super Cup titles and one CAF Champions League title with the Ravens.
The former Sunderland defender was also the coach of Mali and during the stay from 2012-13 the national team was ranked as high as position 21 in the global index and finished third in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Carteron’s immediate task will be to steady the Red Devils’ sheep in the 2018 CAF Champions League.
After two rounds of matches, the 8-times African champions find themselves bottom of Group A after a draw and a loss.
The group also has Township Rollers of Botswana, KCCA of Uganda and Tunisia’s Esperance de Tunis. The matches resume after the World Cup.
