Arsene Wenger "impressed by level of coaches" at 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

The level of both the football on display and the management of teams at the continental competition has noticeably improved over the years.

The 2026 edition of the tournament was no different as Senegal emerged the winners after a 1-0 win in an entertaining final against AFCON hosts Morocco.

Wenger, who is currently employed as Chief of Global Football Development for FIFA, explained that he enjoyed a "highly competitive" AFCON.

He was also impressed that a large number of teams were led by African coaches.

"I would say that overall the competition was extremely intense, which is a hallmark of modern football," Wenger said on Flashscore.

"The mental attitude of all the teams was very strong, and the physical level was absolutely unbelievable.

"The competition was highly competitive. When you watch the matches, it is very difficult to predict who will win because the level of the teams is very close. In the end, the two teams that reached the final had that little extra in terms of technical quality and maturity."

"I was particularly impressed by the level of the coaches. I am also very happy to see African coaches leading African national teams, which is very positive," Wenger added.

"It shows that the organisational level was very high and that the decisions made by the coaches during matches were very good. Overall, this is extremely encouraging.

"It also shows that there is no longer a gap. In modern sport, information travels very quickly and everyone operates at a top level, where the marginal differences are very small."