The Ivorian Football Federation has reappointed French coach Hervé Renard as head coach of the Ivory Coast national team, marking his return more than a decade after guiding the Elephants to their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph.
Renard succeeds Emerse Faé, whose contract was not renewed following Ivory Coast’s campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Although the team reached the knockout stage for the first time in four World Cup appearances, their journey ended with a Round of 32 defeat to Norway.
The 57-year-old returns to a familiar role after briefly managing Tunisia during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He was appointed on an interim basis after Tunisia suffered a heavy 5–1 defeat to Sweden in their opening match.
However, the team failed to recover, losing to Japan and the Netherlands while conceding seven more goals, making Tunisia the only African nation among the tournament’s 10 representatives not to advance beyond the group stage.
Renard brings extensive international coaching experience, having managed the national teams of Zambia, Angola, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. He made history by winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012 before repeating the feat with Ivory Coast in 2015, becoming one of the few coaches to win the continental title with two different countries.
His coaching résumé also includes a spell with Saudi Arabia, where he guided the team to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup before leaving shortly before the tournament. He also coached France’s women’s national team during the Paris Olympic Games.
Renard’s immediate objective will be to prepare Ivory Coast for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The Elephants begin their qualification campaign next month with a high-profile Group C clash against regional rivals Ghana before facing Somalia four days later.
The federation will be hoping Renard’s return can reignite the success he previously enjoyed with the national team and deliver a third AFCON title for Ivory Coast.
