Ivory Coast, as the host nation, was unable to secure the temporary services of Hervé Renard from the France women’s team for the remainder of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Renard, who previously guided Ivory Coast to the Africa Cup title in 2015, was sought by the country’s soccer federation for another stint after the dismissal of Jean-Louis Gasset on Wednesday.
However, negotiations with the French federation for a potential loan deal for Renard faltered, failing to reach an agreement on Thursday.
“The negotiations did not finish favourably; it’s because it shouldn’t have been,” 55-year-old Renard told broadcaster Canal Plus. “I’d have loved it but fate chose otherwise.”
Ivory Coast faced a setback in their quest for automatic qualification to the knockout stage, suffering a 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in their final group match on Monday.
Despite this loss, they still had an opportunity to advance as one of the four best third-place finishers.
However, Ivory Coast secured their spot in the last 16 on Wednesday, following the dismissal of Gasset, thanks to Morocco’s victory over Zambia.
The interim coach, Emerse Faé, is expected to remain in charge for the upcoming match against defending champion Senegal in Yamoussoukro on Monday.
As of now, the Ivorian Football Federation has not made any public statements on the situation.
Hervé Renard, who is highly regarded in Ivory Coast for guiding the team to their second Africa Cup title, is remembered for achieving similar success with Zambia in 2012.
Renard, who is currently coaching the France women’s team, remains a popular figure in Ivory Coast.