Ivory Coast national team manager Sabri Lamouchi position has been under threat for the last few months. Many have said that he does not have the experience required to take a team which stars like Yaya Touré and Didier Drogba into a major competition and get results. Despite possessing a lot of high profile players, Ivory Coast have been unable to shed of the image as the nearby men in Africa. They have failed to win the African cup of nations on several occasions despite going close. Since taking over in 2012, Lamouchi has been able to achieve relative success with the national team.
They were good at the African cup of nations 2013, while they have also qualified for the World Cup 2014 without any hiccups. Despite this, Lamouchi is seen as a novice manager will not be able to get success from Ivory Coast at a major tournament like the World Cup. The manager, though, has received backing from the sports Minister, Alain Lobognon ahead of the tournament. Lamouchi is expected to come out with his provisional squad in a few days. Lobognon says that the manager has proven in the last two years that he is good and that people need to have faith in him.
“We cannot hire another coach at this time. Lamouchi has been on board and has been able to clinch our World Cup qualification, so I don’t see why we should sack him now. I will also be in Brazil and will make sure he has the free hand to pick his players, but if that’s not the case I will let the whole country know that the coach is being influenced,” said the minister in response to calls for the sacking of Lamouchi. There have been widespread reports that Lamouchi had fallen out with Drogba.