Vahid Halilhodzic, the coach of the Algerian national football team (Fennecs), is set to return to face the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire during the 29th Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) in 2013. Halilhodzic previously coached the Ivorian team during the 27th edition held in Angola in 2010, where the adventure ended at the quarter-final stage.
Ahead of the reunion with his former players, Halilhodzic has revealed that he receives phone calls from some Ivorian players expressing praise and motivation at the idea of facing Algeria and him. Despite the cordial communication, the coach acknowledges the difficulty of his mission in Group D, where the Ivorian team, led by the Drogba generation, has its “perhaps” last chance to secure the Africa Cup of Nations title, which has eluded them since 2006.
Halilhodzic also highlights the challenges posed by the other teams in the group, emphasizing that the return of Adebayor makes Togo a formidable opponent and that Tunisia, too, will present difficulties. Group D promises to be a competitive and challenging stage in the tournament.
