Monday, 13 November 2023 – 19:07 WIB
VIVA – Umuh Muchtar, the figure who was the manager of Persib Bandung for a long time apparently never disappeared from the memory of Burkina Faso U-17 National Team coach Brahima Traore.
When he returned to Indonesia, he wanted to miss him and the players who had played with him.
When FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that Indonesia would host the 2023 U-17 World Cup, the coach who jumped for joy was none other than Brahima Traore.
“My memories of a beautiful country immediately emerged when Indonesia was announced as the host,” said Traore.
“People who knew Traore and knew that Traore had played in that country for many years said, “Ah! You are going back to your country.”
Traore said that he often said that Indonesia was his second country. “I really want to meet my friends. I still know the areas there by heart,” he said.
The 2023 U-17 World Cup in Indonesia is not just a championship for Traore, who is currently coaching Burkina Faso U-17.
Returning to Indonesia gave Brahima Traore the opportunity to let go of the people who had contributed to him while he was still a player.
Yes, Traore has played in the Indonesian League. Persib is one of the clubs he has strengthened. This is what made Taore really want to meet H. Umuh, who at that time was the manager of Persib.
When he was a player, Traore played in the Indonesian League for four years. In the middle, he played at Persib, Gresik United, and Persiraja Banda Aceh.
“Yes, I miss a lot of people here. I first came to play for Persib. After being injured, I went home first. Then I came back but played at Gresik United and after that joined to defend Persiraja,” said Traore, telling about his current football career. become a player.
“I played four years in Indonesia, of course I miss my friends here. It feels good to be back in Indonesia,” he said happily.
“I really wanted to meet the Persib manager at that time, Haji Umuh. He was very kind. When I was injured while still playing at Persib, he provided for all my needs. The club still paid my full salary even though I couldn’t play because of an injury. I really miss with him,” he said.
Many beautiful memories were etched in his heart while playing in Indonesia. At Persib at that time, he played with Moroccan player Redouane Barkaoui.
“Barkaoui I see as a great player. I am happy to have the experience of playing with him here [Indonesia],” he said.
He also saw how Indonesian football is currently developing. According to him, this can be seen from the enthusiasm of the Indonesian people watching directly at the stadium.
“Indonesian football is very developed, everyone likes football. I’m happy to see you at the stadium. You can see people crying because of football and that’s very good,” he said.
Traore himself was appointed as coach of the U-17 national team in November 2021. He led Burkina Faso to qualify for the 2023 U-17 World Cup finals for the first time after waiting 12 years.
He is known as a thorough and meticulous coach with details. Traore applies a game based on possession of the ball which then puts pressure on the opponent. This is what made Burkina Faso U-17 achieve success by finishing third in the 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and qualifying for the U-17 World Cup.
2023-11-13 12:07:46
#Umuh #Muchtar
