Marumo Gallants have confirmed the appointment of 28-year-old Frenchman Alexandre Lafitte as the club’s new head coach. The last club that the young coach trained was Stade Abidjan in Ivory Coast, where he won the league title at the end of last season.
His appointment follows after Abdeslam Ouaddou parted ways with Bahlabani ba Ntwa a few weeks ago and joined Orlando Pirates on Monday. Lafitte is expected to arrive in South Africa in two weeks’ time to join the team. Gallants’ pre-season training will officially begin on July 1.
Lafitte became the youngest ever coach to take charge of a professional, top-flight side in world football when he was hired to train Stade Abidjan in 2023 – he was 25 years old at that time. He has rewritten history book by winning the club’s first league title in 56 years, at the tender age of 28.
It’s not the first time Gallants are bringing a young coach in the PSL. In 2022, Gallants appointed Romain Folz, who was 31-years-old at that time. Folz only lasted for about four months before he disappeared from the club.
According to Gallants, Lafitte brings a strong track record in leading teams in both France and Ivory Coast. “Alexandre most recently managed Stade de Abidjan, where he guided the team to the Ivorian League title and qualification for the CAF Champions League group stages in the 2023/24 season. Armed with a Uefa A-Licence, he was a free agent after turning down an offer to renew his contract with the west African club,” reads a statement from Gallants.
Said Abram Sello, President of Marumo Gallants: “Coach Lafitte has a clear understanding of the direction we are taking as a club. He joins ahead of pre-season, which is critical for continuity and alignment with our objectives.”
Reports in west Africa say that Abidjan wrapped up the title on Sunday, after beating Lys de Sassandra 3-0. Lafitte’s side needed only a point to win the title and beat giants Asec Mimosas, the last Ivorian side to win the CAF Champions League in 1998. Prior to his work in Ivory Coast, Lafitte had spells with Paris FC’s women’s team and has also coached Gueugnon, in the French fifth-tier league.
