Overview

• Rigobert Song, former Cameroon captain and coach, has been named head coach of the Central African Republic's national football team by the country's sports ministry.
• The Central African Republic's football federation has rejected the appointment, stating they were not consulted and had plans to nationalize the coaching position.
• Song succeeds Sébastien Ngato, who had been serving as interim coach after Raoul Savoy was dismissed following the team's failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
• The team, ranked 135th in FIFA standings, faces significant challenges, including low group standings in qualifiers for both the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
• Song's immediate objective is to improve the team's performance, with upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Madagascar and Mali being critical to their campaign.