Comoros have kicked off their FIFA World Cup 26™ qualifying campaign with two wins from two, defeating Central African Republic 4-2 in their opening game before recording a historic 1-0 win over powerhouses Ghana in November 2023.
Though it is far too early to say that The Coelacanths have sewn up their place at the next global finals, Stefano Cusin’s team are breaking new ground, to the delight of the island nation and their fans. Comoros had never won a World Cup qualifying match in a group phase before, let alone two, while Cusin and the Fédération de Football des Comore (FFC) are working hard together to grow and develop the game nationwide.
Cusin spoke to FIFA.com in an exclusive interview and discusses his side’s start to qualifying, his love of African football, refusing to jinx Sadio Mane with a selfie and more.
What does it mean to the team and the country to have kicked off this World Cup qualifying campaign with back-to-back wins?
Stefano Cusin: When you do a job like this you have to manage people’s state of mind and expectations. When you win you have to keep things low key, and when things aren’t going well, you have to find out why and work on it. I don’t get carried away very easily. The national team failed to qualify for the last Africa Cup of Nations and there wasn’t as much enthusiasm in the air when I came into the job. The fans were a little disappointed with the way the team had been playing. That was the situation when I came in and I got down to work straightaway. I felt very much at ease with the FFC president, who’s a wonderful person, and then I touched base with the players and, slowly but surely, we started putting a plan together.
What made you take on the Comoros job?
I saw Comoros play at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon [in 2021] and I was struck by their team spirit. I’ve coached in other parts of Africa and liked the idea of experiencing something different. I really enjoyed the first chat I had with the FFC president, and we’ve spoken about the project, ideas and objectives right from the very start. I’ve always liked Africa – it’s football and sport in its purest form. There’s passion here and humility. I’ve met some great players along the way, like [Emmanuel] Adebayor, [Roger] Milla, [Didier] Drogba and [Sadio] Mane, and [Rigobert] Song is a great friend of mine. They’re all so down to earth. There’s so much potential here, too. Then you look at teams like France and the deep African roots they have.
Are there any stories that stand out for you in particular?
I bumped into Mane on the morning of the final of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations against Egypt, in the car park of the hotel where Senegal were staying, while he was limbering up a little for the game. I said to him, “You’re a great pro, but let’s not do a selfie. I don’t want to tempt fate.” He replied, with real humility and kindness, “Let’s do it after the final then”. It just goes to show how warm African people are on a human level.
The culture in Africa is different to Europe, and not just in terms of sport. What are your thoughts on that?
There’s so much passion here that I’ve not really had any problems. The dynamics here are different to Europe but I’ve got all that pretty clear in my head. There’s a lot of spirituality, which is all part of African folklore and culture. When I coached in South Africa, for example, there was even a wizard on the coaching staff. That’s the kind of thing that makes African football so unique.
You’ve had lots of enriching experiences around the world. Which one have you taken the most from?
Every experience I’ve had in the dugout has been important and I’ve learned from them all. There are historical and cultural factors that come into play in every country.
In England, I saw great football played at a frantic pace and with a crazy atmosphere in the stadiums, and United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were important milestones that I shared with my family. The great thing about having a career that takes you around the world is that you can soak up all these different cultures and types of football.
How badly do you want to take Comoros to the World Cup?
I’ve been coaching for 20 years, and my dream has always been to take an African team to the World Cup. While it might be a personal goal for me, we’re using the World Cup qualifiers to develop our project and play without pressure. After winning our first two games, though, we know we’ve given ourselves a big shot at qualifying. That said, there can’t be any expectations on Comoros to make the World Cup. If it ever happened, it would be unbelievable. Our main aim is to make the next Africa Cup of Nations, but, obviously, you can never say never.
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