Hervé Renard, 57, has been appointed as the new head coach of the Ivory Coast national football team. The Frenchman steps into the role as the successor to Emerse Fae, who was not retained by the federation despite successfully guiding The Elephants to the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title. Under Fae’s leadership, the Ivorians also reached the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time this past June, where they were eliminated in the last 32 following a 2-1 defeat to Norway.
Renard arrives with an extensive background in African football. His resume includes leading Zambia to an emotional AFCON championship win in 2012, alongside coaching stints with Morocco, Ghana, and Angola. His managerial career also features significant experience on the global stage; he led Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup, where the team famously defeated the eventual champions, Argentina, during the group stage. Renard took charge of the Saudi side again in 2024 but was dismissed prior to this year's World Cup.
Before joining the Ivorian setup, Renard briefly managed Tunisia. His tenure there followed a difficult 5-1 opening World Cup group stage loss to Sweden, and he oversaw subsequent heavy defeats against Japan and the Netherlands.
His immediate focus with Ivory Coast will be the team's opening qualifier for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The match against Ghana is scheduled for September. The 2027 tournament is set to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
