The French Football Federation has refused the Ivorian federation’s request to release France Women coach Hervé Renard “On loan” for the knockout stages of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations competition in Ivory Coast.
The host country Ivory Coast sacked coach Jean-Louis Gasset after their shock 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in the second group stage game of their campaign and had hoped to bring back AFCON specialist Renard for the knockout stages, for which they qualified as one of the four best third-placed teams thanks to Morocco’s 1-0 victory over Zambia on Wednesday.
Renard has a reputation for being an AFCON champion. He won the competition twice, with the Ivory Coast in 2015 and Zambia in 2011 under unlikely circumstances. In 2019, he also led Morocco to the round of 16, where they were ultimately defeated by Benin Republic on penalties.
The Ivorians will now have to look elsewhere for a temporary coach after the French Football Federation denied their request, which may come as no surprise.
