Azam FC part ways with head coach Youssouph Dabo, technical bench

Dar es Salaam. An official statement is expected any time from now on by Azam Football Club that they have parted ways with their Senegalese head coach, Youssouph Dabo, and the entire technical bench staff.

Reports from the club had it that an agreement was reached following an emergency board meeting held on Friday, August 30, 2024.

"They are now concluding contractual procedures for the two sides to part ways amicably," said the reports from inside the ice cream makers.

During the intense board meeting, members resolved to remove head coach Youssouph Dabo and the entire technical staff.

The other staff members of the technical bench are five assistants, including Bruno Ferry (France), goalkeeper coach Khalifa Babacar Fall (Senegal), fitness coach Jean Laurent Geronimi (France), video and opposition analyst Ibrahim Diop (Senegal), and muscle masseur Ebrima Saine (Gambia).

Dabo’s departure concludes his one-year tenure with Azam FC, which began last season.

Dabo's Record with Azam FC:

Premier League Matches 31; Wins 21; Draws 7; Losses 3.

CRDB Cup Matches 6; Wins: 5; Losses: 1.

CAF Confederation Cup Matches 2; Win 1; Loss 1.

CAF Champions League Matches 2; Win 1; Losse 1.

Mapinduzi Cup Matches 4; Wins 2; Draw 1; Loss 1

A full story

Initially, the Senegalese coach had divided the club’s board over his fate, with some directors wanting him removed and others preferring his stay, believing he deserved more time.

The division started on August 11, 2024, following a 4-1 defeat to Young Africans in the Community Shield final, whose result and performance upset some board members.

The head coach Dabo was summoned for an emergency meeting to explain reasons for the team's change of system of play from the usual use of four defenders to three.

The dollar-million question was why the system of play was changed ahead of a top team like Young Africans without proper preparations.

The Azam FC board of directors recently purchased special television cameras for broadcasting live the team's training sessions to monitor their progress.

"During the training, there is no day Coach Dabo taught a new teaching system that was used against Young Africans," an inside report says.

Defending his decision, Coach Dabo said he was trying out the new system in preparations for facing Pyramids should the two teams meet in the African Champions League.

This answer did not please the ‘bosses’ at all, and they began to view him as incompetent. The situation worsened with a Champions League match against APR, particularly the return leg in Kigali.

After a 2-0 defeat, the board members, who initially wanted him removed, were again furious, this time with even more force.

Unfortunately, the board chairman, Mr Abubakar Bakhresa, was in Kigali, and, after the match, he entered the players' dressing room to offer motivational words after the defeat and clearly stated that the board supported coach Dabo and he was there to stay.

Mr Abubakar Bakhresa was the only board member who wanted the coach to be given more time. However, other members, such as his brother Yusuf Bakhresa, who had brought in the coach, had rejected him since last season after being eliminated by Bahir Dar of Ethiopia in the Confederation Cup.

If decisions had been solely of Yusuf’s, Dabo would have left in September last year. However, other board members, like chairman Abubakar Bakhresa, his brother Omar Bakhresa, and their uncle Jamal Bakhresa, known as Bui, agreed to give him more time.

But after the Community Shield final, Omar joined Yusuf, with Jamal in between, while Abubakar stood by the coach.

Even after the Kigali match, when Abubakar entered the dressing room, he was accompanied by Jamal, both sharing the stance that the coach should remain.

However, the pressure from Omar and Yusuf increased after that, especially with a poor performance against JKT Tanzania.

They called an emergency meeting on Friday night, August 30, 2024, and agreed to part ways with him.