Herve Renard has been appointed Ivory Coast coach for a second time, with his immediate task a potentially important Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ghana in September.
The 57-year-old Frenchman returns almost a decade after leading the Elephants to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations title. He replaces Emerse Fae, who has left the position despite guiding Ivory Coast to victory in the 2024 edition of the continental tournament.
Renard’s appointment was confirmed by the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) on Tuesday, as Ivory Coast prepare to begin their qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Their opening assignment will be a meeting with Ghana in September. The 2027 finals will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Renard has a strong record in African international football and is returning to a team with which he has already achieved major success. His first spell in charge of Ivory Coast ended with the country winning the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
He also led Zambia to an emotional triumph in the same competition in 2012, giving him two Africa Cup of Nations titles as a manager. His other coaching roles on the continent have included Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.
Fae leaves after period of success
Renard’s return comes after a highly successful period for Ivory Coast under Fae.
Fae guided the Elephants to the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations title, but was not retained as head coach. He also took the side into the knockout phase of the 2026 World Cup for the first time in June.
Ivory Coast’s World Cup campaign ended in the last 32 with a 2-1 defeat by Norway.
Renard will now be expected to build on that progress while securing Ivory Coast’s place at another Africa Cup of Nations finals. The first step will be the qualifying match against Ghana in September.
The Frenchman has endured a more difficult period in international management since leaving Ivory Coast.
He took charge of Tunisia after they opened their World Cup group campaign with a 5-1 defeat by Sweden. Renard was unable to reverse the team’s fortunes, with Tunisia later suffering two further heavy losses against Japan and the Netherlands.
Renard has also managed at the World Cup with Saudi Arabia. At the 2022 tournament, he oversaw one of the competition’s biggest shocks when Saudi Arabia defeated eventual champions Argentina in a group-stage match.
He returned to the Saudi Arabian national team in 2024 but was dismissed before this year’s World Cup.
His appointment in Ivory Coast gives Renard another opportunity to work with a side he has already taken to continental success. His immediate focus will be on starting the country’s bid to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, with Ghana standing in the way in the first match of the campaign.
