Rwandan champions APR FC on Tuesday unveiled Moroccan tactician Taleb Abderrahim as club’s new head coach. The veteran coach succeeded Serbian Darko Novic who left the army side in May, just three match days before the 2024/25 season concluded. Taleb, 61, brings a wealth of experience from his previous spells spent on the touchline of various top African clubs like AS FAR, Wydad and Renaissance Sportive de Berkane among others. However, his coaching career has been shaped by a series of short spells at clubs he worked with, leaving his commitment at clubs in serious doubt for a club which aspires to hit the bog stage in African club football competitions. But who is Taleb Abderrahim? Taleb was born in Casablanca on September 10, 1963. He introduced himself into coaching career in 2007, spending much of his time in Moroccan football. His first job was at Moghreb Tétouan where he spent two season between 2007–2009. Two years later, he joined Wydad de Fès where he spent another two seasons in between 2009 and 2011 before moving to COD Meknès (2011-2012) In total, Taleb coached 13 Moroccan teams including Africa’s finest RS Berkane, AS FAR, and Wydad Athletic Club of Casablanca. One of his notable achievements include helping Difaa El Jadidaa finish as runners-up of the Moroccan Botola Pro league in 2017. However, he was unable to win any major trophy at club level. Style of play Taleb prefers building his game around the Christmas Tree (4-3-2-1) formation, a tactical setup in football known for its strong central presence and ability to control the midfield.
