Comoros Islands coach Stefano Cusin has been at helm of the island nation's national team for some 14 months now and qualified for the country for the next the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.The 56-year-old from Italy talks to CAFOnline.
CAFOnline: Congratulations on qualifying for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals, including beating the powerful Tunisia side away ...Stefano Cusin: I am very happy, it's something unbelievable, even if we have really good players. Of course, before the game we could not imagine beating Tunisia. We did prepare as best we could because in our minds we did want to get a result. But we didn't really expect it because Tunisia hadn't lost a home game for some 14 years. It was an unbelievable result and we were very happy with it.
What has it done for the team in terms of belief and morale? Look, we were building the team, so normally it's difficult to be building and getting results. But from the beginning of this mission, I noticed how much the squad has the right mentality, the right plan and very good players.
How much reliance do you still have on the large Comorian community in France? Is that where you are going to find the majority of your players? All of them are Comorans. Of course, most of them grew up in Europe so this is a big advantage because they have had a background of good training. Most of them played for France at youth national team level. So we are talking about quality players. They are not amateurs.
Are there some more players to be discovered? Yeah, we are still at work. We have still other profiles to look at.
And what are the chances for homegrown players to make the team sometime? It's a big step. It's a big step because most of our players are playing in France, some in Ligue 1, or in the Netherlands in their top league. But we are trying to bring some of the best local talents with us.
What are your ambitions for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers when they resume in March?You know, our target was to qualify for AFCON. Now we've made our target come true. The World Cup is the dream. I mean, if it happens it would be unbelievable, but it's very difficult because in our group we are up against some very strong teams. It's never happened in the history of football, that a nation with less than one million people qualifies for the World Cup. But in any case, we will fight for our dream.
Well, you are sitting at the top of the standings, so it's not impossible? Football is a sport for dreamers. So if you are not a dreamer, you shouldn't be a coach.
Have you got a lot of satisfaction from working in the Comoros? You know, there's potential, but it's still a very young football country. I'm enjoying the challenge because for me personally because this is a place that we can build something, it's a place where the people want to work, they want to grow, they want to improve. This is always something that gives me huge motivation. So I love my job and I'm loving working with the Comoros national team.
When Comoros debuted at the Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon in 2021, the team reached the last-16. Will there be similar expectation on you for the tournament in Morocco?We must go step by step. First of all, we have one year to prepare. And then the World Cup qualifiers will help us to gain experience and to grow again. And then we will arrive in Morocco without expectations. But at the same time, we will not fear any team. And I suppose that's the best place to be. There's no pressure, but at the same time, I know that we can do well because of what the team has already. We've beaten Ghana, we beat Tunisia, we beat the Cape Verde. So it means we can achieve something. But we must stay quiet and work. I think this is the secret. When you are young, it's important to work hard and to don't talk too much.
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Do you think the big teams fear you because they have nothing to gain by beating Comoros but everything to lose?Maybe before, yes. Now I think things changed because we're no longer consider underdogs. Opponents are going to take care to they prepare properly before they meet us, even if we are not a big name. But we are a big team in my opinion.
