Renaissance Berkane confirmed on Tuesday that Pedro Leitão Brito, the coach known universally as Bubista, will take over the technical leadership of the first team. The Moroccan club announced a deal running for two seasons, a move that comes just weeks after the 56-year-old guided Cape Verde through a historic first appearance at the 2026 World Cup.

At the tournament staged across Canada, Mexico and the United States, Bubista’s side produced a series of startling results. Cape Verde held Spain and Uruguay to draws in the group stage and advanced to the Round of 32, where they were finally eliminated by Argentina after extra time. That run, built on disciplined organisation and counter-attacking verve, earned Bubista the African Coach of the Year award in 2025, the year he also secured the nation’s maiden World Cup qualification.

He now inherits a club with its own recent pedigree. Renaissance Berkane won the Moroccan league title in 2025 and finished as runners-up in the season just concluded. The team also reached the semi-finals of the African Champions League last term and will compete again in the continent’s premier club competition in the new campaign.

Negotiations over the appointment were protracted and included the possibility that Bubista might remain in charge of Cape Verde while juggling both roles. However, media reports indicate he is expected to resign from the national team post in the coming days, ending a tenure that began in January 2020. The club expressed confidence that his technical expertise and experience, particularly in African football, will drive its ambitions on the domestic and continental stage.