Former coach Le Roy on Oman radar again?

MUSCAT, FEB 16 - Former Oman football coach Claude Le Roy, who is currently managing Togo , was in Muscat during the weekend.

Le Roy, with whom Oman had won their first Arabian Gulf Cup at home in 2009, is one coach with immense knowledge of Oman football and one wonders whether the veteran Frenchman is an apt candidate for the position of new Oman head coach.

“Let’s wait and see,” was his response when asked about his chances of becoming the new Oman coach. Same was the reply when asked about his intentions for a second stint in the Sultanate.

At the same time, Le Roy said he is right now committed with the Togo national team.

“Right now, I am on a short holiday in Muscat. My contract with Togo runs till April.”

“Togo have an important match on March 24. At present, the focus is on the match against Benin in the African Cup of Nations Qualification,” Le Roy told Oman Observer on the sidelines of the T20 Quadrangular Series in Oman.

Oman are now in search for a replacement to Pim Verbeek after the Dutchman quit recently as the head coach.

The ‘Red Warriors’ are on a new high after qualifying for the knockout round of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in the 2019 edition in the UAE.

Le Roy said he had already rejected some offers while on a trip to India.

“I went to southern Indian state of Kerala where I was approached by Indian Super League team Kerala Blasters. At present, my full commitment is with Togo team.”

“Even they wanted me to renew my contract with the Togo Football Association. I’m yet to take a decision,” Le Roy, who started with coaching Cameroon and led them to African Nations Cup in 1988, said. Le Roy was in charge of Oman national team from 2008 to 2011.

Another stint with the Red Warriors could not be ruled out as Oman are looking ahead for a World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification spot.

The Frenchman was also the former coach of DR Congo, Congo Brazaville, Ghana and Senegal.

At Togo, he had also focused to build a grass-root level football culture.

“We had some junior level football education and training programme in Togo which was an unprecedented success. African football needs lot of work at the basic structure though there are abundance of talents,” the coach with a rich African experience said.

On August 24, 2018, the 70-year-old coach was honoured by former AC Milan and PSG striker George Weah for the key role he played in the signing of the now Liberian president by Arsene Wenger at Monaco in 1988.