Costa Rica deposit World Cup hopes in new coach Gustavo Alfaro

According to well connected journalist César Luis Merlo, Gustavo Alfaro is set to become the new Costa Rica head coach. The 61-year-old who has been away from the game after deciding not to renew his contract with Ecuador at the beginning of the year, will sign until the end of the CONCACAF Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup with the option to renew the deal should Los Ticos qualify for the finals.

Speaking to ESPN recently, the Argentine coach confirmed having had several job offers before accepting the Costa Rican proposal: “With this one I have four offers. Sometimes there are none and suddenly they all come to you at once. (Along with the Costa Rica proposal) I had one from Argentina, one from Mexico and one from the MLS. However, the possibility of continuing with a national team is a very enticing challenge.”

The new coach left his mark with Ecuador and has been instrumental in bringing new players into the fold with the likes of Piero Hincapié, Moisés Caicedo or Gonzalo Plata all making their breakthrough with the national side and despite failing to advance from the group stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Alfaro left the position with his reputation intact.

The hunt for a new coach

After more than four months of endless searching, Costa Rica has managed to secure a new coach. Since the dismissal of Luis Fernando Suárez and poor results in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the recent Gold Cup, the ‘Ticos’ probed the market in search of a high-profile coach with Argentine Claudio Vivas drafted in as interim until the match against Panama on November 16.

The Costa Rica national side is currently in the doldrums and their plight compounded by the fact that little high quality talent seems to be coming through at youth level which makes the task at hand that bit harder for Alfaro. His immediate tasks are to prepare a team that can deliver results in both the short and long term.