Head coach of the France women’s national team Hervé Renard has stated that he will step down from the role after the Paris Olympic Games later this year, Soccernet.ng reports.
Renard will look to guide Les Bleues to their first gold medal finish at the Summer Olympics, after which he wants to work on taking a men’s national team to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The former Cannes defender revealed he has communicated his desire to leave to the Football Federation as he aims to make his third coaching appearance at the Mundial.
“It’s a difficult job,” Renard said, as per GFNF.
“If I had to be brief, I have in the back of my mind the 2026 World Cup in men’s football; I hope that it will be my third World Cup at the head of a men’s team. These are my personal motivations.”
Nigeria target Renard?
According to L’Equipe, Nigeria are one of the suitors looking to appoint Hervé Renard as head coach of the Super Eagles.
Jose Peseiro left the position earlier this month after leading Nigeria to a commendable second-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
Former international Finidi George, who served as Peseiro’s assistant, handled the team on an interim basis for the country’s two friendly games against Ghana and Mali last week.
Finidi is also one of the leading candidates, together with Emmanuel Amunike, Michael Nsien, and Ndubuisi Egbo, to be named as Peseiro’s successor.
However, the NFF remains open to appointing a foreign coach to manage the national team, leaving the door open for Renard to secure the Super Eagles job.
Nigeria will face stiff opposition to securing Renard, though, as the 55-year-old Frenchman is also reportedly a target of Poland, South Korea, Cameroon, Nigeria, and even Morocco.
Why is Renard the most sought-after coach in Africa?
Born Hervé Jean-Marie Roger Renard in France on 30 September 1968, his coaching career began in his country of birth in 1999 after a less-than-spectacular playing career.
Renard handled a few lower-league French clubs before landing in Africa in 2007 after he was asked to serve as assistant to Claude Le Roy for the Ghana national team.
The following year, Renard was appointed manager of the Zambia national team, and he led the Chipolopolo to the quarterfinals of the 2010 AFCON – the country’s highest finish in 14 years.
He left and returned shortly after to guide Zambia to claim their first-ever AFCON title in 2012.
Cote d’Ivoire liked what they saw in Renard, and they appointed him the manager of the Elephants ahead of the 2015 AFCON.
Renard won the competition with Ivory Coast to become the first coach to win two Africa Cup of Nations with different countries.
The former Lille manager helped Morocco qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup to make his first appearance at the Mundial.
Renard became Saudi Arabia’s coach in 2019 and led the Arabian Falcons to make it to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they beat eventual winners Argentina in their first match.
He was CAF Coach of the Year thrice in 2012, 2015, and 2018.
NB: Would you take Herve Renard as coach of the Super Eagles ahead of Emmanuel Amunike or Finidi George? Leave your comments below.
