Decorated Congolese coach Florent Ibenge has opened up about his choice to join Tanzanian side Azam FC after years being linked with Young Africans and Simba SC.
The CAF Confederation Cup winner, with RS Berkane, arrived at the Chamazi-based club after a successful three-year period with Sudanese powerhouse Al Hilal.
The former DR Congo national team coach snubbed offers from North Africa and the Gulf Region to take the job with Chamazi Millionaires.
He has a promising start to his time in East Africa and remains unbeaten in three matches. Azam also secured a place in the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup. Interestingly, Azam were drawn in the same group as two clubs he knows very well – AS Maniema from Congo and Moroccan giants Wydad. The fourth team in Group B is Nairobi United.
WHY IBENGE OPTED FOR AZAM FC
“I came to Azam because they showed that they really wanted to take me,” Ibenge told FARPost. “I spent three years in Al Hilal, three wonderful years. And then, the contract came to an end, I wanted to try out something else.”
The key factor, according to Ibenge, was Azam’s consistent pursuit that began years ago.
“Azam came into contact with me in Kinshasa six years ago. So, for a long time, they had been interested. And they came back again this time, we talked, I saw the infrastructure and their vision, and I felt this was where I wanted to be.”
The former Shanghai Shenhua mentor said he was impressed by the club’s setup and ambitions, feeling they create a strong foundation for success.
“So, it’s a very, very good club, well-structured and above all, people who are humble. People who are humble and want to move forward. It is a situation that makes you want to work even harder and please them and succeed in the challenge.”
The 2016 CHAN winner with Congo will be eager to break the recent dominance of rivals Simba SC and Young Africans in the Tanzanian Premier League. His club, founded as Mzizima Football Club in 2004, has won only one league title in 2013/14 when they went the entire season without a loss.
With a proven track record, including guiding DR Congo to third place at the 2015 AFCON and leading AS Vita to the 2014 CAF Champions League final, Ibenge brings the pedigree and continental experience Azam desperately seeks.
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