Frenchman Herve Renard has been appointed Ivory Coast coach for a second spell, returning to the team he guided to Africa Cup of Nations glory in 2015.
The 57-year-old replaces Emerse Fae, whose contract was not renewed after Ivory Coast reached the knockout stages of the 2026 Fifa World Cup for the first time in four appearances. Their campaign ended with a defeat by Norway in the last 32.
Renard’s return was announced by the Ivorian football federation on Tuesday. He will now lead the Elephants into their next Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures, with the prospect of winning the continental title for a third time.
Ivory Coast begin their Group C campaign next month with a challenging home match against neighbours Ghana, who also competed at the World Cup. Four days later, they face Somalia in their second group game.
Renard’s appointment comes after a difficult period for the coach at the 2026 World Cup. He was brought in as an emergency replacement for Tunisia after their opening match ended in a 5-1 defeat by Sweden.
However, Renard was unable to revive Tunisia’s campaign. They subsequently lost to Japan and the Netherlands, conceding seven more goals across those two matches.
Tunisia were the only one of the 10 African nations at the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States to fail to reach the last 32.
The Ivory Coast job represents a return to a familiar and successful environment for Renard. During his first spell in charge, he guided the national side to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations title.
He also has extensive experience of international football elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East. Renard has coached Angola, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Zambia, winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012.
His international career also includes a spell in charge of France’s women’s team. He led them at the Paris Olympics two years ago.
Renard’s immediate priority will be to steer Ivory Coast through qualification, beginning with a high-profile meeting against Ghana. The two neighbouring countries will meet before Ivory Coast face Somalia later in the same international window.
The next Africa Cup of Nations will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda next year. Renard will aim to add another continental crown to the titles he won with Zambia and Ivory Coast, while also building on the team’s progress at the World Cup under Fae.
Although Fae’s side were knocked out by Norway, their last-32 appearance marked Ivory Coast’s first qualification for the knockout phase in four World Cup attempts. Renard now returns with the task of maintaining that momentum and challenging for another major international honour.
