Micho saga: Who pays national team football coaches in Africa?

At $10,000 monthly, Micho earns seven times less than South Africa’s Stuart Baxter, over five times less than Herve Renard of Morocco, and three less than Gernot Rohr of Nigeria. File photo

What you need to know:

  • Soccer. At $10,000 monthly, Micho earns seven times less than South Africa’s Stuart Baxter,
    over five times less than Herve Renard of Morocco, and three less than Gernot Rohr of Nigeria.

Kampala. If there is one constant song from Fufa it has got to be “call for government support.”
“It is only in Uganda where the national team is catered for by the federation,” Fufa president Moses Magogo has always argued.

“It is the mandate of the government to pay the coach, his technical staff, cater for players’ air tickets and other costs.”

So it is not surprising that whenever Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic chooses his timing to ask for his dues, normally on Twitter, the rage is usually met with a familiar call from Fufa, a call for government support.
Fufa, who entirely shoulder the coach’s monthly pay of $10,000 (Shs36m), make an important point of government taking responsibility of national teams, besides the Sports Act says so.

Rwanda, Kenya, Egypt and Ghana are some of the African countries where governments pay their national coaches, leaving grassroots development and management of the wide game to the local FAs.

In Egypt, for example, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, supplemented by EFA’s sponsorship deal with Presentation Sports For Media Rights, helps offset Hector Cuper’s $65,000 (Shs234m) monthly salary.

Ghana National Petroleum Cooperation (GNPC), an independent state company, takes care of the national team expenses and the coaching staff of the Black Stars, where coach Kwesi Appiah earns $35,000 (Shs126m) per month.

Herve Renard’s $65,000 (Shs243m), which will improve to $83,000 (Shs298m) if Morocco qualify for Russia 2018 World Cup, is offset by the FA and Moroccan government.

Closer home, the Rwandan government takes care of everything national teams. “For us when it comes to national team,” said a source from the Rwandan FA, who preferred not to be named because he is not authorized to speak on the matter.

“We offer technical advice and manage the game in other aspects. But when it comes to team expenses, we leave the government to take over. It has its own challenges of course, but it has advantages too.”
Rwanda coach Antoine Hey earns the same as Micho’s $10,000 (Shs36m) monthly.

Kenya’s Stanley Okumbi is one of the lowest paid national team coaches at $5,000 (Shs18m) per month, $15,000 (Shs54m) less than Scotsman Bobby Williamson used to earn with the Harambee Stars.

The Kenyan government pays Okumbi. However, not all African governments pay their national team football coaches. Stuart Baxter’s $80,000 (Shs288m) monthly pay is offset by the South African Football Association (Safa), arguably one of the richest, if not the richest FAs in Africa thanks to millions of dollars in sponsorships.

Super Eagles of Nigeria technical adviser, German Gernot Rohr, is said to pocket $47,000 (Shs170m), which is paid thanks to a sponsorship deal between the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and an oil and gas company called Aiteo.

The only difference between Safa and NFF is the creativity to source for other ways outside government to pay their coaches. And lest we forget, they are bigger economies and their sport is more of an attractive brand than Uganda’s.

Salaries of coaches

*Stuart Baxter, South Africa, $80,000
(Shs288m) - Safa
*Herve Renard, Morocco, $65,000
(Shs243) – Govt & FA
*Hector Cuper, Egypt, $65,000
(Shs243) – Govt & FA
*Gernot Rohr (Nigeria) $47,000
(Shs170m) - NFF through an oil and gas
Company
*Kwesi Appiah, Ghana, $35,000
(Shs126m) - Govt through a
State-owned petroleum company
*Micho Sredojevic, Uganda, $10,000
(Shs36m) - Fufa
*Antoine Hey, Rwanda, $10,000 –Govt
Stanley Okumbi, Kenya, $5,000
(Shs18m) – Govt