Former Wydad Athletic Club head coach Sven Vandenbroeck admits he’d prefer to work in the DStv Premiership despite links with a sensational return to Simba SC.
The Belgian tactician, who served as the assistant coach to Hugo Broos in the triumphant 2017 Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon, has embarked on a solo journey since 2018, which started with the Zambia national team job that lasted eight months.
His next adventure took him to Ligi Kuu Bara giants Simba, where he won the league, and domestic cup, qualified for the CAF Champions League group stage and won the Coach of the Season honour before moving to the Botola Pro.
At ASFAR over two seasons, he took the side second from bottom to a third-place finish, a second-place finish the following season and a Throne Cup crown, which saw him headhunted by Saudi Pro League side Abha and it’s been a bit of a chaotic journey since at three trigger-happy clubs.
“I’m interested in both, coaching Simba or a club in the South African league,” the Belgian coach told iDiski Times when asked about recent interest from Simba and the PSL – but explained why he’d prefer a new adventure.
“I know the club and its environment. They have great and loyal fans too. Simba has the advantage of the Champions League but the local league has some away games in poor circumstances.
“The league in South Africa has a bigger impact and the facilities are generally much better.”
While his stint at Abha was short-lived, his reputation at the age of 44 holds him in high regard in African football, and both Wydad Athletic Club and CR Belouizadad looked towards him to lead their clubs over the past 12 months.
“I can give a short answer to this question [on why I didn’t stay long at the North African giants],” the 2021 Botola Pro Coach of the Season explained.
“At Wydad I was the 5th coach of the season. I signed a 4-month contract with an option of one year [and] to activate that option, I had to win the Champions League, and as you know we lost the final against Al Ahly.
“CRB is a different story. The President was making his team and putting pressure on me to put his team on the pitch.
“Also the signing of two former international players of 37 years old on the last day of the window, caused a lot of tension.
“The club wanted them to play and I felt they were not fit enough yet. When I did not select one of them, the President declared after the game in the media that the player was sick and I told the media he was absent on my technical and mental decision.
“After that, I wanted to leave the club on a mutual agreement.”
