The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) has officially confirmed the appointment of Hervé Renard as the new head coach of Côte d'Ivoire's senior nationa
The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) has officially confirmed the appointment of Hervé Renard as the new head coach of Côte d’Ivoire’s senior national team.
The announcement, released in a federation statement, marks Renard’s return to the Elephants more than a decade after he first guided the country to Africa Cup of Nations glory.
The 57-year-old Frenchman replaces Emerse Faé, whose contract expired on 31 July 2026 and was not renewed despite delivering strong results.
Faé had guided Ivory Coast to the 2024 AFCON title and led the team into the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the country’s history, before losing 2-1 to Norway in the last 32.
The decision to part ways with him has therefore stirred some controversy among fans and pundits, given how recently those achievements were secured.
Renard, meanwhile, previously led Côte d’Ivoire from 2014 to 2015, guiding the team to their second AFCON title with a dramatic penalty shootout win over Ghana, and became the first coach to win the tournament with two different countries after also lifting it with Zambia in 2012.
Renard arrives with a wealth of recent international experience, having most recently taken interim charge of Tunisia during the 2026 World Cup after leaving the Saudi Arabia job.
He is expected to immediately begin preparing the Elephants for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which start in September 2026.
Beyond his AFCON pedigree, his appointment comes despite considerable controversy given the timing, but the federation is banking on his proven track record to keep Ivory Coast among Africa’s elite footballing nations.
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