Renard is close to coaching Ivory Coast.

Frenchman Hervé Renard is on the verge of returning to coach the Ivory Coast national team, after French media reports revealed that he will take over as the head coach of the Elephants in the next 48 hours, succeeding Emerse Faé, who was dismissed a few days ago.

The French newspaper "Le Parisien" reported on Monday that the 57-year-old Renard, who has not held any position since leaving the Tunisian national team, has reached an agreement to take on the coaching responsibilities of the Ivorian team.

The Ivorian Football Federation unexpectedly decided to part ways with Faé, after he led the Elephants to win the Africa Cup of Nations 2024 and reached the Round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup, marking the team's best World Cup performance in history, before being eliminated with a 1-2 loss to Norway.

According to "Le Parisien," the Ivorian Federation, led by Idriss Diallo, aims to start a new phase in preparation for upcoming challenges, primarily the Africa Cup of Nations 2027.

Renard previously led Ivory Coast to win the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2015, giving the team its second continental title after a 23-year absence, which earns him a significant place among fans and officials in the country.

Renard is considered one of the most prominent coaches in the history of African football, having also won the continental championship with the Zambian national team in 2012, becoming the first coach to win the title with two different teams, and he was named the best coach in Africa three times in 2012, 2015, and 2018.