The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) has officially confirmed the return of Herve Renard as the head coach of the Ivory Coast national team. This move comes 11 years after Renard famously led the nation to their second Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in 2015.

Renard returns to the helm following the Ivory Coast's exit from this year's World Cup in the round of 32. The federation decided not to offer a new contract to Emerse Fae, whose deal expired on July 31. Fae had previously led the team to AFCON glory in 2024 after stepping in mid-tournament and successfully navigated the team into the World Cup knockout stages, where they were eventually defeated 2-1 by Norway.

During his first tenure between 2014 and 2015, Renard established a strong record, winning nine of his 18 matches, with five draws and four losses. His first spell culminated in a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Ghana in the AFCON final before his departure.

Renard's recent history with the World Cup has been mixed; he recently took charge of Tunisia after the sacking of Sabri Lamouchi. However, his time with the Tunisian side ended in disappointment, overseeing defeats against Japan (0-4) and the Netherlands (1-3), leaving them at the bottom of Group F.

The immediate priority for the returning coach will be securing qualification for next year's AFCON. Ivory Coast faces a challenging path ahead, having been drawn into a difficult qualification group alongside rivals Ghana.