Ivory Coast Shortlists Five Candidates to Succeed Hervé Renard
The search for Hervé Renard’s successor as head coach of Ivory Coast has entered a decisive phase, with the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) narrowing its list of candidates from 59 to just five.
The shortlist, announced by the selection committee this week, includes three Frenchmen — Michel Dussuyer, Patrice Neveu, and Frédéric Antonetti — as well as Franco-Polish veteran Henri Kasperczak and Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte.
All but Antonetti bring prior experience in African football, a factor the committee has reportedly placed strong emphasis on. Michel Dussuyer, for instance, previously coached Guinea and Benin, while Henri Kasperczak has managed several African national teams, including Mali, Senegal, and Tunisia. Paulo Duarte has held coaching roles with Burkina Faso and Gabon, and Patrice Neveu has led the likes of Guinea and DR Congo.
This is not the first time Frédéric Antonetti, the former Rennes manager, has been considered for the Ivorian role. Despite lacking direct experience on the continent, he was previously shortlisted during the last selection process before Renard’s appointment.
The shortlist will soon be reduced further to a final group of three candidates, from which the FIF Executive Committee will make the final decision.
Renard left his post as Ivory Coast head coach after leading the Elephants to victory in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, the nation’s first continental title since 1992. His departure has left a significant vacancy, with the new coach expected to guide the team through the 2017 AFCON qualifiers and the 2018 World Cup campaign.
The final appointment is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
