'Omar Troussier' (born 'Philippe Troussier'
March 21,
1955 in
Paris) is a former
French football (soccer) player and now a manager.
Known as the "White
Witch Doctor" for his success with
African club teams such as
Asec Abidjan of the
Côte d'Ivoire and the national teams of
Nigeria,
South Africa and
Burkina Faso, Troussier is best known as a coach for his time spent with the
Japanese national team.
Troussier coached Japanese national team from 1998 to 2002, winning the
2000 Asian Cup, placing second at the
2001 Confederations Cup and made the round of 16 at the
2002 World Cup. He also coached the Japanese team at the
2000 Summer Olympics in
Sydney to a fifth-place finish and 1999
FIFA World Youth Championship runner-up.
He was the head coach of the
Moroccan national team, having taken over after the country's failure to qualify for the
2006 World Cup. However, he was fired after only two months in charge by the
Moroccan FA due to a difference in opinion.
Troussier and his wife Dominique converted to Islam on
March 172006 in the Moroccan capital
Rabat where they live.
He has taken the name Omar and his wife is no longer Dominique but Amina, they have adopted two local girls Selma and Mariam.
Playing career
★ 1976-1977 :
AS Angoulême (D2)
★ 1977-1978 :
Red Star 93 (D2)
★ 1978-1981 :
FC Rouen (D2)
★ 1981-1983 :
Stade de Reims (D2)
Teams coached
★
INF Vichy (1983-1984)
★
CS Alencon (1984-1987)
★
Red Star 93 (1987-1989)
★
ASEC Abidjan (1989-92)
★
Côte d'Ivoire national football team (1993)
★
Kaizer Chiefs (1994)
★
CA Rabat (1994-1995)
★
FUS Rabat (1995-1997)
★
Nigeria national football team (1997)
★
Burkina Faso national football team (1997-1998)
★
South Africa national football team (1998)
★
Japan national football team (1998-2002)
★
Qatar national football team (2003-2004)
★
Olympique de Marseille (2004-2005)
★
Morocco national football team (2005)