Niger Appoint Jean-Guy Wallemme as New Coach

Niger have appointed Jean-Guy Wallemme as their new national team head coach.

The Frenchman will take reigns for the first time on Saturday when Niger travel to Ivory Coast for their opening Group K match of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Wallemme, who replaces Francois Zahoui, is currently the head coach of C’Charters, a club that plays in the fourth level of French football and has previously led the Congo national team.

The 52-year-old Wellemme played at Lens and Coventry City and then coached Saint-Aintene in 2002 before retiring from active football.

His other past managerial jobs include French clubs Paris FC, Auxerre, Roye and the Algerian side JS Kabylie among others.

The Niger Football Federation has not released any details of his contract terms.

The Dame Gazelles have been training under local coach Harouna Doulla on an interim basis after the resignation of Zahoui in September this year.

The former Ivory Coast coach Zahoui took over Niger in May 2015 and led the home-based side to the 2016 Africa Nations Championship, where they were eliminated at the group stage.