Ralph Jean-Louis

Jean-Louis played for three clubs in his playing career.[4] They were Bel Air FC, Anse-aux-Pins FC and St Michel United.[4] He started his career and Bel Air, in an era when Seychellois football teams were based in a particular region.[5] Bel Air FC represented the administrative district of Bel Air on the island of Mahé.[5] Jean-Louis then moved to Anse-aux-Pins FC (who represented the administrative district of Anse-aux-Pins).[5] Jean-Louis next moved to Seychelles First Division club St Michel United.[5] Why playing for St Michel United he won the 2001 Seychelles FA Cup and 2003 Seychelles First Division.[1] He stopped playing for St Michel United in 2004.[3]

Jean-Louis played for the Seychelles national team for eleven years from 1990 to 2000.[5] He played in at least one full international, a 1–1 draw with Namibia on 8 April 2000 in qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[7] In that match he was substituted off at half-time with Jude Ladouce replacing him.[8] Jean-Louis has won two medals in football at the Indian Ocean Island Games.[5] He won a bronze at Madagascar 1990 and a second bronze at Réunion 1998.[5] At the 1993 Indian Ocean Island Games, which was the first Indian Ocean Island Games held in Seychelles, Jean-Louis scored a goal in the third-place playoff but Seychelles eventually lost 6–2 to Mauritius.[5]

Jean-Louis has coached St Michel United in two different spells.[3] His first spell ended in early 2011, soon after he was appointed national team coach. He left after a CAF Champions League match against Young Buffaloes F.C. from Swaziland.[5] He won quite a few title with the club in his first spell.[5]

After been sacked from the national team, Jean-Louis re-joined St Michel United.[3] Then in 2015 he left again, due to being re-hired by the national team.[4] He thanked St Michel United for their understanding.[6]

Jean-Louis was first appointed the manager of the Seychelles national team in December 2010,[2] replacing Andrew Amers-Morrison as head coach.[5] After his appointment, Jean-Louis said that his objective with the team was, "Reaching the Indian Ocean Island Games final and making local fans proud with a win."[6]

At the 2011 Indian Ocean Island Games held in Seychelles, Jean-Louis's team was drawn in group A with Mauritius, Comoros and the Maldives.[6][9] The team's first game was on 4 August 2011 against Comoros with the game ending in a 0–0 draw.[9] Seychelles' second group game was against Mauritius and goals from Nelson Laurence and Archille Henriette secured Seychelles a 2–1 win.[10] In their final group game, the Jean-Loius led Seychelles beat the Maldives 5–1.[9] This meant the team progressed to the semi-finals as group winners on seven points, three points ahead of Mauritius and five points ahead of both Comoros and the Maldives.[9] In the semi-finals Jean-Louis's team faced Réunion.[9] Seychelles won in extra time 2–1 after a 118th-minute winner from Karl Hall.[11] In the final, Seychelles would face Mauritius, a team they beat 2–1 in the group stage.[9] The game finished 1–1 after extra time so the game went to penalties.[9] Seychelles won the shootout 4–3, and in doing so won the gold medal.[9] Jean-Louis left the team soon after the Indian Ocean Island Games victory.[4]

Jean-Louis was re-appointed manager of Seychelles in September 2015,[2] replacing Ulric Mathiot.[4] In an interview with Seychelles Life after his appointment, Jean-Louis said, "I took it up this time as a challenge for me to see if I can do better than last time."[4] He was one of four applicants for the job and the only local one.[4] His first match in his second spell as manager was against Burundi on 7 October 2015 in the first round of African qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[6] The team lost 1–0 before losing the second leg 2–0 and being knocked out of qualifying for the World Cup.[12]