Herve Renard is back in charge of Ivory Coast, returning to the national team more than a decade after ending the country's long wait for Africa Cup of Nations glory as the Ivorian Football Federation looks to build on one of the most successful periods in the nation's recent football history.
The federation confirmed Tuesday that the 57-year-old Frenchman has been appointed for a second spell as head coach, replacing Emerse Fae after his contract expired at the end of July.
The decision comes despite Fae overseeing remarkable success, including the Elephants' dramatic AFCON triumph on home soil in 2024 and their historic run to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Renard is no stranger to Ivorian football. Appointed in July 2014, he guided the Elephants to the 2015 AFCON title in Equatorial Guinea, where they defeated Ghana in a dramatic penalty shootout to lift their second continental crown and end a 23-year championship drought.
The victory also secured Renard a place in African football history.
Having already led Zambia to an unforgettable AFCON title in 2012, he became the first coach to win the tournament with two different nations. During his first stint with Ivory Coast, he compiled a record of nine wins, five draws and four defeats in 18 matches.
His return follows the departure of Fae, whose achievements made the decision not to renew his contract one of the more surprising coaching changes on the continent.
Initially appointed on an interim basis after Jean-Louis Gasset was dismissed during the 2024 AFCON, Fae inspired one of the tournament's greatest comeback stories as Ivory Coast recovered from the brink of elimination to lift the trophy in front of their home supporters.
The former Ivory Coast midfielder then continued that momentum by leading the Elephants through World Cup qualifying before taking them to the expanded 2026 tournament in North America. Ivory Coast advanced beyond the group stage for the first time, finishing second behind Germany on goal difference before falling 2-1 to Norway in the round of 32.
Despite winning roughly two-thirds of his 36 matches in charge, Fae's contract was allowed to expire.
In announcing Renard's appointment, the federation said the move reflects its ambition to preserve the progress made in recent years while pursuing even greater success on both the African and international stages.
The FIF cited Renard's extensive experience, proven record in African football and strong connection with the national team as key reasons behind his return. He is expected to arrive in Abidjan in the coming days before being formally introduced at a news conference.
Renard's coaching résumé ranks among the most accomplished in international football.
His greatest achievements have come in Africa, where he twice transformed underdogs into continental champions. Zambia's emotional 2012 AFCON triumph remains one of football's most inspiring stories, coming less than 20 years after the tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of much of the nation's golden generation.
Beyond Zambia and Ivory Coast, Renard has managed Angola, Morocco and Ghana, establishing a reputation as one of the continent's leading international coaches.
He also enjoyed success outside Africa. As Saudi Arabia coach, he guided the team to the 2022 World Cup and orchestrated one of the tournament's greatest upsets when the Saudis stunned eventual champion Argentina 2-1 in the group stage.
Renard later coached the France women's national team before returning to Saudi Arabia in 2024, although his second spell ended before the 2026 World Cup.
His most recent assignment proved far more challenging.
He was brought in as Tunisia's emergency coach after the team's crushing 5-1 defeat to Sweden in its World Cup opener but could not halt the slide, overseeing further losses to Japan and the Netherlands as Tunisia exited the tournament without a point.
Now back with the Elephants, Renard faces a different challenge: maintaining Ivory Coast's place among Africa's elite after the progress achieved under Fae.
His immediate focus will be the start of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, with Ivory Coast opening its campaign against regional rival Ghana in September before facing Somalia days later. The Elephants have also been drawn alongside Gambia in the qualifying group.
The 2027 AFCON finals will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.