Following the devastating defeat against Equatorial Guinea (4-0), head coach Jean-Louis Gasset left the Ivorian national team in the midst of the competition. His assistant, Emerse Faé, took over as the interim coach. However, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) attempted to recruit a coach during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN). The officials wanted to secure the services of Hervé Renard, who led the Elephants to victory in 2015. However, the French Federation declined to lend the coach of the women’s national team to Ivory Coast. During a press conference on Sunday, January 28th, Emerse Faé addressed this matter.
« Hervé Renard is one of the most respected coaches in Africa, mainly because he has won two CAN titles, including one with Ivory Coast. Personally, I had other concerns and things to focus on rather than rumors about Hervé’s potential arrival. If he had come, I would not have had any issues with that. However, since he is not here, we will not discuss him because he is not part of the team, » stated the Ivorian coach ahead of the eighth-finals clash against Senegal in the 2023 CAN.
