Football - Three candidates for national team coach job |03 September 2015

Three candidates among them one Seychellois have applied for the post of Seychelles football team coach.

Former Seychelles team attacking midfielder Ralph ‘Tiapout’ Jean-Louis is the Seychellois who has applied for the coaching job.

Jean-Louis led the Seychelles team as coach to win the gold medal at the Indian Ocean Island Games for the first time in 2011.

The team could not defend their title in Reunion this year and did not even make the semifinals after losing to the Maldives and Mayotte after winning by walkover against Madagascar who went on to reach the final.

The other two candidates are Frenchman Dominique Veilex and Australian Danny Perry.

Dominique Veilex, 55, is a former professional footballer and current manager of Gazélec Ajaccio

On June 24, 2010, he was named manager of then-amateur club Gazélec Ajaccio. In the ensuing two seasons, Veilex led the club to promotion to the Championnat National in the 2010-11 season and helped the club reach Ligue 2 after finishing third in the 2011-12 Championat National, thus helping Gazélec attain professional status.

Sports Nation was unable to get any information about Danny Perry.

According to Seychelles Football Federation secretary general Jemmy Adela, the national team management committee is expected to meet next week to choose the right man for the job.

Sports Nation also learned that Jean-Louis was asked but refused to take charge of the Seychelles team for Saturday’s group J match against the Walia Ibex of Ethiopia in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Contacted by phone, Jean-Louis said: “It’s true I was asked to take charge of the team for the match but because I have applied for the post and the interview has not taken place, I felt it was best for me not to accept the offer. Also, it would have been difficult for me to call up new players with only one week preparation for the game.”

G. G.