Former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama is set to work under a French coach for the third time in three years after CF Montreal settled on little-known Laurent Courtois
Former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama will be coached by Frenchman Laurent Courtois who is set to be unveiled by MLS side CF Montreal.
According to The Athletic, Montreal will name Columbus Crew 2 boss Courtois as their new head coach to replace Argentine Hernan Losada who sacked last November in what will be the club’s ninth appointment in the dugout in 13 seasons.
Courtois has been with the Crew since 2019 at various youth levels. In charge of Crew 2, he won the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro title in 2022 and led them to the final again in 2023.
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Courtois emerged last month as one of three leading contenders for the job, being interviewed for the role alongside former Canadian Premier League-winning coach and current Charlotte FC assistant Pa-Modou Kah and ex-Portland Timbers boss Gio Savarese. The club’s former midfielder Marco Donadel was reportedly also considered.
Now, a year after Columbus poached Wilfried Nancy from Montreal, the club have looked to the Crew for their next leader.
The fact Courtois is French-speaking is crucial but he will have been hired for his potential as a coach and his proven track record in turning raw unpolished diamonds into first-team stars.
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Wanyama announced his retirement from the team two years ago , with his last cap being a 2-1 loss to Comoros in 2020, but says his international career may yet not be over.
Courtois will have to integrate a host of youngsters with some experienced players in the Montreal squad with Wanyama among the leaders in the dressing room.
Getting the stars on his side will also be crucial given how Losada had fallen out with some of them, notably Wanyama, by the time of his sacking.
The Kenyan international will also be hoping for a change in fortunes under Courtois as he had fallen out of favour with Losada who rarely selected him in the final months of last season, leading to the bad blood.
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Losada was sacked after the club finished trophyless last campaign and also missed out on the playoffs, meaning Courtois’ work is cut out.
Courtois will be the third Frenchman in charge of Montreal in the last three years after Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who left in 2021, and Wilfried Nancy, who quit in 2022, before Losada replaced him.
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