The Ivory Coast have announced the appointment of Hervé Renard as their new head coach, with the Frenchman returning to the role 11 years after he guided the Elephants to the Africa Cup of Nations title.
The 57-year-old succeeds Emerse Faé, who departed his post on July 31 at the end of his contract, despite having guided the Elephants to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in their history.
Renard has been out of work since leaving Tunisia at the end of their group stage campaign, having been appointed as the emergency replacement for Sabri Lamouchi, who was relieved of his duties after the Carthage Eagles’ opening 5-1 demolition by Sweden.
“This appointment reflects the Federation’s determination to consolidate the achievements made by the senior national team in recent years, while continuing to pursue the ambitions set for Ivorian football on both the African and international stages,” read a Federation statement.
“An African champion with Côte d’Ivoire in 2015, Mr Hervé Renard returns to lead the Elephants with the mission of guiding the national team in its preparation for and participation in upcoming international competitions,” it continued.
“Drawing on his experience at the highest level of football, his knowledge of African football, and his attachment to Ivorian football, he will be responsible for continuing the senior national team’s momentum of success, working in close collaboration with the Federation’s governing bodies and technical structures.”
Renard was first appointed by the Elephants in July 2014, with the aim of ending years of underachievement as the West Africans’ Golden Generation had repeatedly fallen short in their bid to win a second AFCON crown.
He needed just over six months to end the wait, defeating Ghana on penalties in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, in February 2015, before departing three months later to take the reins at Ligue 1 side Lille.
His success with the Ivory Coast made him the first coach in history to win the AFCON with two separate nations, having previously inspired Zambia’s miracle triumph — when they defeated the Elephants in the final — in 2012.
He has since held coaching roles with Morocco, France’s women’s side, and twice with Saudi Arabia, with whom he masterminded a World Cup giant-killing against Argentina at the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
The statement, signed by FA President Yacine Idriss Diallo, confirms that Renard is expected to arrive in Abidjan later this week to start his duties and meet the media.
Faé’s exit was seen as something of a ruthless move by the federation, with the former international midfielder having stepped into the role amid difficult circumstances during the Nations Cup on home soil in 2024, before inspiring the team to win the continental crown for a third time.
After a disastrous group stage, culminating in a 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea, the late Jean-Louis Gasset was dismissed, with Faé appointed in his place on an interim basis.
An unlikely combination of results in the other groups saw the Elephants through as one of the best third-placed teams, and they promptly eliminated defending champions Senegal on penalties in the round of 16, came from behind to dispatch Mali after extra time in a thrilling quarterfinal, and saw off the Democratic Republic of Congo in the semifinal.
During an emotional final at the Stade d’Ebimpé on the outskirts of Abidjan, they beat Nigeria 2-1 to clinch their first continental crown since 2015.
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