Hervé Renard returns as Ivory Coast head coach for second spell

French coach Hervé Renard has been appointed as the new head coach of Ivory Coast for a second time. He returns to lead the Elephants more than a decade after guiding them to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.

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The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) announced Renard's appointment on Tuesday, August 4, just days after confirming that former coach Emerse Faé would leave his role when his contract expired on July 31.

Faé took charge midway through the 2023 AFCON tournament following Jean-Louis Gasset's dismissal. Faé inspired the Elephants to an unforgettable title triumph on home soil before guiding the team to the knockout stage of the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time.

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Renard coached Ivory Coast between 2014 and 2015, leading the Elephants to their third AFCON title 

His return comes as Ivory Coast prepares for the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, where the Elephants have been drawn alongside Ghana, Gambia and Somalia.

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Renard remains the only coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations with 2 different countries. He first won it with Zambia in 2012 and later with Ivory Coast in 2015. He has also managed Angola, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, France's women's national team and, most recently, Tunisia during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Earlier this year, Renard was appointed Tunisia coach after Sabri Lamouchi was dismissed during the World Cup. However, Tunisia failed to recover, losing their remaining group matches before Renard left the role.