In football, money is also the driving force. While player salaries have often been criticized, especially for their astronomical levels, the remuneration of coaches has frequently been overlooked. Yet, the issue of football coaches' salaries in Africa remains delicate, partly due to the public funding of their often high salaries relative to the limited resources of the federations.
In a climate of distrust, particularly from the media and commentators, foreign coaches, mainly from Europe, often dominate the salary scales in Africa, while local coaches struggle to achieve equivalent pay. This situation frequently sparks national debates when results are not delivered. Even when the salary advantage goes to the local coach, as was the case in Algeria, Djamel Belmadi was earning up to 205,000 euros per month before his dismissal—a record! His successor, Vladimir Petkovic, is earning 135,000 euros, according to Le Monde.
The issue of recruiting a local coach, who is cheaper and sometimes more effective, remains a recurring topic in African football circles. However, salaries often reflect performance: for instance, in Morocco, Walid Regragui, who became a local legend after the semi-final at the Qatar World Cup, earns 70,000 euros. This is almost as much as South Africa's Belgian coach, Hugo Broos, who earns 75,000 euros. Meanwhile, Aliou Cissé, African champion with Senegal, was paid 46,000 euros.
However, some less successful teams, like Sudan, offer competitive salaries to their coaches, compensating for their lack of attractiveness. On the other hand, less renowned teams like Burundi and Djibouti pay their coaches less than 5,000 euros per month.
The salary imbalance between coaches highlights the disparity between the teams. Additionally, some foreign coaches accept modest salaries to boost their careers in Africa, a choice that can benefit federations looking for talent at a lower cost.