FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, visited the Technical Study Group (TSG) of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations 2025, commending the tournament’s intensity and the rising level of African coaching.
The former Arsenal manager was welcomed by the TSG members in Morocco and took part in a technical workshop. The session focused on performance analysis and the key patterns seen in the competition so far.
Wenger stated that AFCON 2025 perfectly matches the demands of modern football, being played at an exceptionally high level both physically and mentally.
“Overall, the competition has been very intense,” Wenger said. “The mental attitude of the teams has been very strong, and the physical level is absolutely unbelievable.”
He noted that the small differences between teams have made predicting match results very difficult. “When you watch the games, it’s very hard to know who will win because the levels are very close,” he added.
For Wenger, this competitive balance points to greater tactical maturity across African football. He observed that the teams which reached the final were set apart by their technical quality and experience.
A key positive highlight for Wenger was the high standard of coaching, especially the success of African coaches leading their own national teams.
“I was impressed by the level of the coaches,” Wenger said. “I’m very happy to see that now you have African coaches who lead the African teams. That is good news. It shows that the organization level was very high, that the decisions made by the coaches during the games were very good. Overall, that is very positive. It shows that there is no gap anymore.”
He explained that in modern sports, information and knowledge spread quickly, allowing everyone to reach a top level where only small details make the difference.
Wenger also stressed the important role of the Technical Study Group. He said their work is vital for spotting tactical trends, understanding where the game is heading, and helping shape how players are developed in the future.
“The TSG has the responsibility to analyse trends and guide where we can develop players,” he noted. “I was impressed by the quality of their work and the passion they put into the analysis.”
The visit concluded with Wenger taking photographs with the AFCON 2025 TSG members, highlighting FIFA’s support for CAF’s increasing technical expertise.
