The Ivory Coast national team has failed in their efforts to bring back former coach Hervé Renard on loan from the French women’s team for the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament, as the host meets defending Champions Senegal at the 1/16 stage.
Renard, who led the Ivory Coast to their second continental title in 2015, was sought out by the country’s soccer federation after they fired manager Jean-Louis Gasset on Wednesday.
Gasset was let go following Ivory Coast’s shocking 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea which meant they failed to directly qualify for the knockout stage.
Negotiations took place with the French federation to loan Renard for the remainder of the tournament, but ultimately broke down without an agreement between the two sides.
“The negotiations did not finish favorably, it’s because it shouldn’t have been. I’d have loved it but fate chose otherwise,” Renard told Canal Plus about the failed deal.
The 55-year-old Frenchman took over the France women’s team last year after an impressive stint leading Saudi Arabia at the 2018 World Cup, where he engineered a massive upset victory over eventual champions Argentina.
However, his previous African triumph with the Ivory Coast in 2015 made him a prime target to bring back following Gasset’s dismissal. Renard remains extremely popular in the West African nation for delivering their second continental crown.
With the loan move collapsing, Ivory Coast will likely stay with interim coach Emerse Faé for their Round of 16 encounter against reigning champions Senegal on Monday.
Despite failing to directly advance from the group stage, the Ivory Coast qualified for the knockout rounds on Wednesday thanks to Morocco’s win over Zambia. But without Renard to marshal the squad, they face a daunting task against Sadio Mané and the talented Senegalese.
The Ivory Coast soccer federation has yet to publicly comment on the failed negotiations. But with Renard unavailable, the team’s passionate fans may have to temper their expectations for the rest of the tournament.
