Denis Lavagne: Who is Vipers new head coach?

Vipers have appointed French man Denis Lavagne as their new head coach.

He takes over from Belgian Jacky Ivan Minnaert whose contract was never renewed at the end of last season despite winning the StarTimes Uganda Premier League unbeaten on the pitch and guiding the Venoms to semi-final of the Stanbic Uganda Cup.

Lavagne’s main task will be to defend the league, win the Uganda Cup but mainly take the eight-time champions to the Caf Champions League group stages.

Born July 9, 1964, Lavagne had a modest playing career as a defender playing for among others Le Havre B, Beziers, Ales B and Orange.

Coaching career

At just 34, Lavagne began his coaching career with Beziers Deveze in 1998 where he spent just one campaign before he moved to Sedan B where he spent four years from 1999 to 2003.

Coton Sport – four title, Caf Champions League final

He later joined Cameroon giants Coton Sport where he had two stints (2007 – 2008 & 2008-2011).

At Coton Sport, he won four domestic championships and got to the final of the Caf Champions League in 2008 losing to record winners Al Ahly of Egypt.

Cameron National Team

On the basis of his achievements with Coton Sport Garua, he was given the Cameroon Indomitable Lions job in 2011 replacing Spanish Javier Clement who had failed to lead the team to the Afcon 2012 in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

However, following a shock defeat to Cape Verde in the 2013 Afcon qualifiers, he was shown the exit as Cameroon failed to qualify for the second successive time.

Etoile Du Sahel

He later returned to coaching in 2013 with Tunisia’s Etoile Du Sahel and helped them with the domestic Cup.

Other managerial jobs

Lavagne has also managed in Algeria at CS Constantine, JS Kabylie, USM Alger, then in Egypt where he coached at Smouha and Al Ittihad Alexandria and in South Africa with Free State Stars.

The 61-year-old also coached in the Cecafa region managing Tanzania’s Azam [2022] and Sudan’s Al Hilal.

His most recent assignment was in Saudi Arabia with Al-Bukiryah in the nation’s First Division, the second tier of Saudi football.

Summary of Denis Lavagne coaching career

Major Achievements

• Algerian Cup Winner: JS Kabylie [2021]
• CAF Confederation Cup Runner-up: JS Kabylie [2021]
• Cameroon League champion; Coton Sport [2007, 2008, 2009, 2011]
• Cameroon Cup Winner; Coton Sport [2007, 2008, 2011]
• CAF Champions League Runner-up: Coton Sport [2008]
• Tunisia Cup Winner: Etoile Du Sahel [2012]
• Sudan Premier League champion: Al Hilal [2017]

Other milestones

• Guided Algeria’s CS Constantine to the CAF Champions League quarter finals in 2019

History against Ugandan clubs

Lavagne was the head coach of Cameroon side Coton Sport when they eliminated URA 3-0 on aggregate.

They drew goalless at Namboole before the tax men were hammered 3-0 in Garua.

In 2018, he was on the touchline for CS Constantine when they Algerian side eliminated Vipers 3-0 on aggregate winning 2-0 at Kitende.

Agency

Denis Lavagne is attached to the ‘Some Where in Africa’ Talent Management whose director is Geoffrey Kayemba Ssolo, a FIFA licensed Agent and former legislator for Bukomansimbi South.

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