Harouna Doula Gabde  Doula Gabde Harouna, better known as Harouna Doula is a Nigerien football manager and former player. He was Manager of the Niger national football team from 2009 to 2012, leading Niger to its first African Nations Cup qualification in 2012, their first African Nations Championship qualification in 2011, and the winning of the UEMOA Tournament in 2010. He was demoted following the first match loss at the 2012 Nations Cup finals. Aged 46 in January 2012, Harouna Doula was a Nigerien international, playing at fullback. After retirement he received a "professorat" degree in physical education and sport form Niger's National Institute of Youth, Sports, and Culture (INJS/C). He holds an "A License" for professional football training from the University of Leipzig, a "C License" from the Confederation of African Football, and instructorship diplomas for CAF, UEFA, and FIFA. Appointed manager of the Nigerien men's national squad in 2009, Harouna Doula replaced former U-17 Niger coach Frederic Costa, appointed in December 2008. Under Harouna Doula Niger finished a poor run, ending in failure to qualify for the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola. Despite a failed run for ACON2010, Niger hosted and won the UEMOA Tournament in November 2010, and followed up with their first ever qualification for the African Nations Championship in February 2011. Niger progressed to their first ever quarter-final appearance, ending in a loss to the hosts,  On 10 October 2010, Niger earned a shock 1-0 win over Egypt at home in the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualification. After home wins—but away losses—over South Africa and Sierra Leone, on 8 October 2011 Niger qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in its history. For his part in Niger's unprecedented run, Harouna Doula was awarded "Best African Manager 2011" by CAF in December 2012. In the runup to ACON 2012. reporters and political leaders commented on his quiet, collaborative management style. In one interview he said that "out objective is to always remain humble... but also to surpass ourselves, to surprise, as we were able to do during the qualification phase." On 13 November, two days prior to Niger's last preparative friendly (against Botswana in Niamey) FENIFOOT announced it had recruited two "technicians" to aid Harouna Doula in the African Nations Cup.