‘I made mistakes’
KICK OFF: Let’s start with your first foray into Africa when you left your native France for a West African journey…
Philippe Troussier: It was in Ivory Coast where it all started for me, I became the ‘White Witchdoctor’. It was at Sol Beni, the training centre of Asec Abidjan, that I began to write my international history. To be still coaching 30 years later, after a long journey around the world with more than 12 different countries visited, I have become like a globe trotter. During this long journey, I had the great privilege of working at two World Cups [1998 and 2002], one African Cup of Nations [1998], two Asian Cup of Nations [2000 and 2004], the 2000 Olympic Games of Sydney, Copa America [1999 with guests Japan], the Under-20 World Cup in Nigeria [1999], as well as many national championships. I also had success in national cup competitions with Kaizer Chiefs and a stint at the prestigious
Olympique de Marseille [in France’s Ligue 1], where I worked with Pierre Issa. In the international arena, I have also managed over 200 international matches across eight different federations. But going to your question, the time at Asec was the most memorable. With Asec Abidjan in the 1990s, I
