French coach Hervé Renard has returned for a second spell as head coach of the Ivory Coast national football team, having previously guided the Elephants to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations title.
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The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) announced on Tuesday that Renard has been appointed as the new head coach, succeeding Emerse Faé.
In an official statement, the federation said:
"We inform the Ivorian football family, our member associations, institutional and commercial partners, and the general public that Mr. Hervé Jean-Marie Roger Renard has been appointed head coach of the Ivory Coast senior national team."
The statement continued:
"After winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast in 2015, Mr. Hervé Renard returns to lead the Elephants as they prepare for and compete in upcoming international tournaments."
The federation added that Renard is expected to arrive in Abidjan in the coming days to officially assume his duties. He will then be introduced to the media and football fans during a press conference, with the date and venue to be announced later.
The 57-year-old Renard is regarded as one of Africa's most experienced international coaches. He made history by becoming the first coach to win the Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries—Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015.
Renard was appointed head coach of Tunisia during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following the team's 5–1 opening defeat to Sweden. However, he was unable to revive Tunisia's campaign, as the team subsequently lost to Japan and the Netherlands, conceding seven more goals.
Meanwhile, Emerse Faé's contract was not renewed after the World Cup, despite leading Ivory Coast to the knockout stage for the first time in four World Cup appearances before they were eliminated by Norway in the Round of 32.
Ivory Coast will begin its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign next month with a challenging home match against Ghana, followed four days later by another Group C fixture against Somalia.
