Hervé Renard takes over Ivory Coast after tough World Cup Free since the end of his interim stint with Tunisia during the 2026 World Cup, Hervé Renard has been appointed head coach of the Ivory Coast national team. He replaces Émerse Faé and returns to a familiar role, nine years after winning the Africa Cup of Nations with the Elephants. The Ivorian Federation confirmed his appointment in a statement released on Tuesday. Renard, 57, has been tasked with preparing Ivory Coast for upcoming international competitions. He will be officially presented in Abidjan in the coming days. ## Why the return to Ivory Coast? After being dismissed by Saudi Arabia before the World Cup and a brief spell in charge of Tunisia, Renard chose to return to Ivory Coast. Senegal, South Africa, and South Korea had shown interest in him, but he ultimately decided to continue his career with the Elephants. ## What to expect from his return? Renard takes over a team in good form, currently second in the World Cup with 6 points from 3 games (2 wins, 1 loss). The Elephants have scored 4 goals and conceded 2. Their last match, a 1-2 defeat to Norway, shows there is still work to be done. ## A challenge for the coming months With a recent form of 1 win and 4 losses (LLWLL), Renard has his work cut out for him. His experience and past success with Ivory Coast in 2015 could be major assets for upcoming competitions.