Courted by Algeria, which would like to recover it after the 2024 Olympics, Hervé Renard was officially contacted by the Ivorian federation, which would like to recover it “on loan” for the end of the CAN.
A coaching loan in the middle of a competition? This is the daring idea of Ivory Coast, which is trying to take on Hervé Renard in the middle of the African Cup of Nations. We knew that Algeria was interested in the coach of the French women’s team, who will be at the end of his contract after the 2024 Olympics. But this time, it is to get him back now, for a freelance of one or several matches, until the end of this CAN.
The agreement of the French Football Federation, Renard’s employer, will necessarily be required. But L’Equipe explains that the Ivorian Federation has already contacted its French counterpart to try to find common ground. “This decision would have a positive impact for the FFF on the continent”, observes L’Equipe. But the French team should not be harmed: the Blues will play the semi-finals of the Nations League on February 23, against Germany, with their sights set on the possibility of winning a first title on the international scene.
Renard, specialist in African football
Winner of the CAN twice, with Zambia (2012) and… Ivory Coast (2015), Hervé Renard is a highly rated coach on the African continent. He was still at the head of Morocco a few years ago (2016-2019), and he attended a few matches on Ivorian soil. “He knows perfectly all the teams still in competition, their strengths and weaknesses”adds L’Equipe.
For Ivory Coast, time is running out. The host country of this CAN, which miraculously qualified for the round of 16 despite a rout against Equatorial Guinea (0-4), faces Senegal on Monday evening. After the resignation of Jean-Louis Gasset, Emerse Faé is supposed to take over as interim manager. But the ball is in the court of Renard and the FFF.
