Hubert Velud Officially Takes Command of the Comoros Coelacanths
With a formal ceremony held this Saturday, March 7, 2026, French tactician Hubert Velud was unveiled as the new head coach of the Comoros national team. He pens a contract that binds him to the archipelago until 2028. Velud succeeds Stefano Cusin with the objective of returning the Comoros to the pinnacle of continental football by qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
At 66, Velud arrives not as a newcomer, but as one of the most sought after African specialists in the game.
His appointment is a calculated move by the federation to inject veteran experience into a squad that has tasted success in the past but recently struggled to find consistent rhythm. The FFC leadership made it clear during the presentation that Velud’s deep-rooted understanding of the African landscape was the deciding factor in his selection.
Velud’s resume reads like a map of the continent’s footballing heartlands. His reputation for taking mid-tier nations and transforming them into giant-killers was solidified during his tenure with Sudan. Between 2020 and 2021, he orchestrated a resurgence for the Secretarybirds, leading them back to the AFCON finals after a decade-long absence by outclassing established powerhouses like South Africa in the qualifiers.
Most recently, he guided Burkina Faso’s Stallions to the knockout stages of the 2023 AFCON, proving his ability to manage difficult environments and diverse squads.
Beyond the international stage, Velud’s success at the club level provides the Comoros with a coach who understands the winning culture. He reached the summit of African club football in 2016 when he led the DR Congo giants, TP Mazembe, to a dual triumph in both the CAF Confederation Cup and the CAF Super Cup. His tactical flexibility was also on display in Algeria, where he achieved the rare feat of winning back-to-back league titles with two different rivals, ES Sétif and USM Alger.
The challenge ahead for the new manager is immediate. The Coelacanths are no longer just minnows; following their fairy-tale run to the Round of 16 in 2021, expectations from the Moroni faithful have reached an all-time high. Velud’s philosophy, which balances defensive solidity with a transition game, is expected to stabilize a defense that has looked vulnerable in recent outings. He will need to bridge the gap between the veteran stars who led the 2021-2025 charge, and the emerging young talents playing in the European leagues.
During his inaugural press conference, Velud expressed a mix of pragmatism and ambition, stating that his primary goal is to ensure the Comoros becomes a “permanent fixture” in the AFCON rather than a one-hit wonder. The journey begins immediately, as the new coach has less than three weeks to prepare for the upcoming FIFA international window with matches against Kazakhstan and Namibia scheduled for late March.
