Gallants back youth and vision as 28-year old Alexandre takes the helm

Age or nationality is neither here nor there for Marumo Gallants chairman Abram Sello when it comes to appointing a new head coach.

Gallants have named Lafitte Alexandre as their new head coach, replacing Abdeslam Ouaddou, who recently joined Orlando Pirates. At just 28-years old, Alexandre becomes the youngest coach in the DStv Premiership ahead of the new campaign.

But this is not unfamiliar territory for Gallants, who previously appointed 31-year-old Romain Folz. Although Folz’s stay at the club was brief, he went on to make a name for himself at Horoya AC, Fifa, AmaZulu, and Mamelodi Sundowns.

Speaking at Alexandre’s unveiling at Hotel Sky in Sandton on Monday — alongside the club’s new signings — Sello explained their approach to recruitment.

“I think as our payline, Bahlabane Ba Ntwa, when we look for someone, we really mean business,” Sello said.

“We happen to be lucky by speaking to the right people — we study first, check the profiles, and consult. With that help, it makes us feel great about the candidate.

“We had previous coaches where the media said, ‘look how young he is’. But they ended up at Mamelodi Sundowns, Fifa, AmaZulu or Horoya. That kind of development makes us proud, especially if you look at where Romain Folz and Abdes (Ouaddou) are right now.

“We just wish them luck when they go elsewhere. We don’t block anyone’s way up the ladder, coach or player, because they were with us.”

Though Gallants have shown a pattern of hiring French-speaking coaches — with Alexandre and Folz both French, and Ouaddou holding French nationality — Sello denied there was any national bias.

“It’s not necessarily French or Moroccan,” Sello clarified. “We were looking at the profile and the intention of the candidate to understand our vision and mission.

“We interviewed a number of coaches and chose the one aligned with our club’s growth and his hunger for success. We will give him the platform to develop himself and the club. It’s not about nationality — the profile and intention are key.”

Alexandre joins Gallants with a lofty reputation. The 29-year-old led Stade Abidjan to their first Ivorian title in 56 years during the 2023/24 season and guided the team to the CAF Champions League group stage at just 25-years old.

Sello believes Alexandre’s credentials speak for themselves — but he’s not expecting miracles.

“We expect much when we look at his profile,” Sello said.

“We wish and anticipate that he can do what he did before, but it’s difficult to win the league. After finishing in the semi-finals of both the Carling Knockout and the Nedbank Cup, we want to get to a final.

“In the league, we’re aiming for a better position — closer to the title, as a dream. If things go well for him, we could get there. But let’s start simple — get a Top 8 finish.”