World Cup Coaches Dive In: Limited Prep Leaves New Managers Feeling the Heat

The World Cup stage is set, but for a handful of managers, the journey to get there has been a hurried one. In the cutthroat world of international football, qualification success doesn’t always guarantee a manager’s job, leading to a number of teams heading into the tournament with bosses who have had scant preparation time – sometimes mere weeks and without a single competitive match.

Carlos Queiroz, the seasoned Portuguese tactician, makes his fifth consecutive World Cup appearance with Ghana. Appointed in April, his tenure has seen just one match, a draw against Wales following an absence from a friendly against Mexico. He steps into a role previously held by Otto Addo, facing immediate scrutiny.

Saudi Arabia’s Georgios Donis took the reins just ten days after Queiroz, succeeding Herve Renard. Donis has had three friendly matches to assess his squad, most recently a goalless draw with Senegal. The pressure is on to replicate the success Renard found in the previous tournament.

Czech Republic’s Miroslav Koubek, another late appointment in December, lacked prior international management experience. His immediate challenge was navigating the qualification playoffs, where his team triumphed through penalty shootouts against Ireland and Denmark. Unbeaten so far, Koubek has guided his side through recent friendlies against Kosovo and Guatemala as they return to the World Cup after a long absence.

Sweden’s Graham Potter, appointed in October, also navigated the playoff route after a less-than-stellar qualifying group stage. His win record includes victories over Ukraine and Poland in playoff matches, though recent friendlies have yielded mixed results. Sweden’s opening match is against Tunisia, led by Sabri Lamouchi, who was appointed in January and has overseen only friendlies as his team prepares for the tournament.

Morocco’s Mohamed Ouahbi, appointed in March, appears to have had a more stable start, remaining unbeaten in five friendlies. He brings experience from leading Morocco’s Under-20s to a World Cup title. Uzbekistan’s manager, Fabio Cannavaro, a World Cup winner as a player, faces his first World Cup as a coach since taking charge in October, having played eight games with two recent losses.

These managers, thrown into the deep end, will need to adapt rapidly in a competition that offers little room for error or extended settling-in periods.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)