FIFA World Cup 2018: Why black managers no show face?

Di Senegal national football team don get accolade worldwide for Russia in di last few days and e no be just because na dem be di only African kontri wey win dia match for World Cup.

Dia manager, Aliou Cissé, na di only black pesin in charge of any of di 32 nations wey dey take part for di tournament, even though black players boku.

"I am di only black coach in dis World Cup. Dat one dey true, but really dis na debate wey dey worry me," Cisse tell tori pipo. "I feel say football na universal sport and di colour of your skin no too dey important."

Say Cisse different make am popular, but im no be di only tin wey different for di tournament. Na di normal tin.

Expansion of teams, not places

Black managers no common for World Cup.

Even as dem increase from 24 team to 32 teams in di tournament no do anytin.

For France 1998, di first one wey get 32 teams, no black coaches dey, even though di number of African kontris wey take part increase from three to five.

Since then, na only seven black professionals don dey in charge of team.

Even di 2010 tournament, wey South Africa host as ogbonge victory for di continent, e no get any black coach inside.

"We fit play, but we no fit lead. Maybe di only tin dem fit use black man for na to send am go do di work," Florent Ibenge, di Democratic Republic of Congo coach bin tell tori pipo AFP, as im dey para say opportunities no dey.

Ibenge, wey still dey in charge and win di 2016 African Nations Championship, dey tok about di fact say African kontris like to dey employ white managers, wey don play well well for Europe or South America.

Glass ceiling?

Na wetin happun for 2010 be dat as wen Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira go coach South African.

For di first time wey dem play for World Cup in 1998, di pesin in charge of Bafana Bafana na Frenchman Phillipe Troussier.

In fact, in di last African Cup of Nations for 2017, na only three out of 16 teams bin get black manager.

But some dey say di reason why e be like dis no be because of partiality.

"E no really dey about di kontri di coach from come. Na how di coach fit perform. If we get Ghanaian coach wey fit win tournament, good. If na European, dat one sef good," Kwesi Nyantakyi, wey be president of di Ghana FA at dat time bin tok for one TV interview.

Ghana na one of Africa strong football kontri but dem no dey Russia 2018.

Dia current manager na former captain James Apiah, wey replace former Chelsea manager Avram Grant, wey be Isreali, afta di "Black Stars" finish for number four position for African Cup of Nations.

Ghana biggest achievement na four African titles (1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982) - and na black managers dey in charge during dis times.

Minorities at work

For pipo wey dey campaign for equality, dis mata of no black manager for World Cup na just small part of di mata.

For 2014, one big study wey Football Against Racism do for European clubs and football organisations, dem see say for England, France and di Netherlands, black and ethnic minority professionals just get only 3% of coaching and oda staff jobs.

“E no suppose be surprise to see say black pipo no dey represent for di top top level, wen you see say opportunities no dey from di bottom,” Piara Powar, FARE’s executive-director, try explain.

“Na big European leagues cause am. Dem like to dey buy black players but dem no go give dem support to become coach. Dis na di way wey from time dem don look black athletes say dem fit perform well but dem no fit be leaders.”

“Black managers dey fight centuries of partiality, of scientific racism dem dey use justify racism before-before. And wen di tin don enta European football well-well, dem come cari dis racism come Africa, where to dey give white European managers job don dey common, especially old players wey at di end of di day, go coach two or more kontris for di continent,” Powar tok join.

Underrepresentation

For club football for England, di 2017-18 season bin get only three black or minority managers out of di 92 clubs for di four professional divisions. And only one for di Premier League - Chris Hughton of Brighton.

At least 25% of professional footballers for England be black.

But for international football, na Brazil own dey one kain.

Di most successful country for World Cup history get mixed-race population of over 50% (47% of dem black) and dem depend onto non-white players such as Pelé, Garrincha, Romario and Ronaldo to win di trophy five times.

But Brazil never use black manager during World Cup tournament.

“Dis one no break my spirit to follow my plan to be manager, but I know say black managers fit feel say di competition no dey fair,” na so former Brazil star Gilberto Silva, wey dey part of di 2002 World Cup winning team tok.

“Di only advice I get be say if e be say partiality dey, make black pipo strong dia mind to face am. Like how we bin dey do wen we hear fans dey sing racist song during di time we dey play football.”

And even though many praise France team wey win World Cup for 1998 for how different race dey inside, coach work no reach many of di non-white players.

White men like Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps manage di national team and Zinedine Zidane win three Uefa Champions League trophies for Real Madrid, na only recently Patrick Vieira break di “glass ceiling” afta dem appoint am manager of French club Nice on 11 June.

Unconscious bias

Dutch journalist and writer Simon Kuper, wey follow write di football book “Soccernomics”, argue say unconscious bias also follow as reason why tins be like e be.

“When clubs and football associations employ coaches dem also dey tink of PR. Dem dey worry say which kain eye pipo go take look di manager, so at di end of di day, dem go go for pesin wey "look like manager," Kuper reckons.

“And dat one mean say e go be white man, 40 to 60 years old, and wit alpha male mentality. Dem dey play am safe, because if clubs or associations go sometin different, dem fit face katakata if results no favour dem."

In di book, Simon and di oda writer Stefan Szymanski show say managers no too get mouth for weda team win match, and dis one no be wetin many believe.

“Cissé no win di match for Senegal. Di players dey responsible for 95% of di victory. But di manager na di face of di team. Public and media dey interact wit di manager and dem dey see am for press conferences. Instead of colour we suppose dey tok about gender too. Because maybe black woman go fit be great manager.”

New generation

“But pipo go laff if dat kain tin happun. Na crazy bias, but e dey unconscious. Dem no dey select striker because of PR, but dem go do am for coach or manager. But, football no be di kain industry wey dey sidon tink. Dis kain tin no go happun for oda industry,” Kuper tok.

Pipo no go too blame Cissé wen e dodge di kweshun ontop di mata during World Cup. But di Senegal coach tok about am di day before im kontri play Poland.

“Football na universal sport and I represent new generation wey go like do well for Africa and world football. Even ontop say our players dey good, we (Africans) dey very good for our tactics and we get di right to be part of di top international matches.”