France Prevents Ivory Coast From Signing Herve Renard For 2023 AFCON Knockout Stage

French Football Federation (FFF) prevented Ivory Coast from appointing France’s women’s national team coach, Herve Renard, on loan.

Ivory Coast, who sacked Jean-Louis Gasset after an abysmal run in the 2023 AFCON group stage, which they are currently hosting, wanted Herve Renard to take charge of the team for the rest of the tournament.

Recall that Ivory Coast, who finished third in Group A after recording a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Nigeria, an embarrassing 4-0 defeat at the hands of Equatorial Guinea, and managed just a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau, qualified for the next round of the 2023 AFCON as one of the four best losers.

They have to face the reigning AFCON champions, Senegal, in the round of 16 at 9 p.m. on Monday, January 29, and they wanted the 55-year-old Herve Renard to come to their rescue in a loan arrangement, according to AFP.

Recall that Renard is the only manager to lead two different countries to win the AFCON after leading Zambia to win the tournament in 2012 and also helped Ivory Coast to win the tournament in 2015.

Renard is said to be willing to lead the country once again, but his contract with the FFF as France women’s coach wouldn’t permit him to do so.

Hence, Ivory Coast would have to face a star-studded Senegal under the watch of the team’s assistant coach, Emerse Fae, currently the team’s interim manager.