ABIDJAN, May 22 (Reuters) – Herve Renard has stood down as coach of African Nations Cup winners Ivory Coast to pave the way for a move to Ligue 1 side Lille, the Frenchman announced on Friday.
The 46-year-old led Ivory Coast to only its second African Nations Cup title in Equatorial Guinea in February — defeating neighbouring Ghana in a dramatic penalty shootout — just two years after winning the title with unfancied Zambia.
French media reports have heavily linked Renard with a move to Ligue 1 side Lille and he cited a new challenge as the reason for his departure.
“My adventure with Ivory Coast was exceptional. And I sincerely think that the best moment to end our collaboration is after such a success,” he told reporters in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital Abidjan.
“In all likelihood, I’m going to Lille barring a catastrophe.”
Renard will replace outgoing Rene Girard who will end his two-year stay at the Ligue 1 side, who sit in eighth place, following Saturday’s match against Metz.
“I hope that my future club will allow me to advance to another level, and I hope, like any self-respecting coach, to one day participate in the European Champions League,” Renard added.
Ivory Coast signed Renard to a two-year contract in August 2014, tasking him with improving the fortunes of a side including the likes of Yaya Toure, Wilfried Bony and Didier Drogba — though the Chelsea forward retired before the African Nations Cup.
“We thank Mr Renard for our collaboration, for the work he did at the head of the national team,” said Pierre Gondo, spokesman for the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF).
“We expressed to him our regret to see this collaboration end so soon.”
Renard did not offer details concerning the intricacies of the termination of his contract, saying only that there would be discussions between his future club and the FIF. (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly, Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Tom Hayward)
Girls as young as eight in Mozambique and Zambia are forced to go to camps where they are shown how to please a man in bed in order to prepare them for married life, activists said at an international conference on ending child marriage.
How is this related to the topic at hand?
EMBATTLED Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mutembo Nchito has decided to run to the courts in a scheme to continue delaying the commencement of sittings of the Annel Silungwe- led tribunal currently investigating his professional misconduct.
Mr Nchito yesterday filed an application in the Lusaka High Court in which he has asked the court to stay the tribunal hearing and his suspension from the office of DPP.
What is Mutembo got to do with the topic above, emungulu uyo. stick to the topic okay!
We are talking abt Rena bacimbwi mwaaba shaani? I knew Rena wud live nd soon he wil be back to Africa
Lyashi lyakwe ilyo chikala.Elo tuchite shani efwe nga’asela umwaiche?Afikepo!
Africa, the training grounds for Herva Renard. He understands the better saying: “LEAVE THE STAGE WHEN EVERYONE IS CLAPPING”. Others are silently vying for a third term presidents till they are booed.
Akabwela nafuti kabili alibelela
Zambia takes on Namibia today in the COSAFA senior challenge 2015. Kalaba will be looking foward to a move to his mentor soon after he signs with Lille. Its a morale booster to the team. REnard is a Zambian
I commend Renard for his move.In life a wise man should keep on moving from a low level to higher heights and that is exactly what Renard is doing.
2012 Zambia won AFCON, thanks big man for the contribution. we shall aways remember you when we talk about the year 12 to our children.
Big up!!!!!!
very soon he will b back in Zambia ,where pipo vote for pipo with no vision
kiki very true mune. Zambians are so emotional and easily get attached to people. Renard was here on strict business and was doing his job of which we paid him dearly for. Just because he did his job and we won afcon, people now think he is zambian and were even offering him citizenship. he became some demigod. It seems majority of zambians easily become attached to things, even negative things like poverty. why do you think half of them voted lungu?
@NEZ…it is true most Zambians suffer from severe emotional problems….if you ask most people why they voted for Lungu, they will tell you that it is because he is the chosen one…you ask who chose him and they say it is like the way David was appointed as King….according to them Sata anointed Lungu as president so they have to go with it….Just imagine dear…we are talking about handing responsibility to someone to lead over 12 million; whose CV does not qualify him to do so.
He was voted in because probably people could not risk to go for a nincompoop like NEZ. That is why!!! You need to be led to englightment
kiki ukose pf cadre iwe. ati bob marley. do not cheapen that name
Ndeloleshafye
This opportunist will be back in Africa after he fails in Europe.
…nomba ninshi…?