February 08, (THEWILL) – The Guinea-Bissau Football Federation has announced longtime national team coach Baciro Cande will not have his contract renewed when it expires next month. The 56-year-old managed the team over two spells since 2016.
Guinea-Bissau were eliminated in the group stage of the recent 2024 Africa Cup of Nations after losing all three Group A matches. Cande joins several AFCON coaches who have left their posts following disappointing performances at the continental competition.
Despite the recent results, Cande retains hero status in the former Portuguese colony for leading Guinea-Bissau to four straight AFCON qualifications. This ended decades of embarrassment for the national side previously considered one of Africa’s whipping boys.
The Federation is now looking to build on the relative success Cande achieved during his tenure. Appointing the right successor will be crucial if Guinea-Bissau hopes to remain competitive on the continental stage and beyond.
Algeria, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Tunisia have already parted ways with their coaches post-AFCON. Guinea-Bissau hopes a change in leadership will reverse their recent slide down the African rankings.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
