Herve Renard (Yonhap) Herve Renard, the French soccer coach who was repeatedly linked with the South Korean men's national team job in recent years, has returned as Ivory Coast's head coach for a second stint after more than a decade.The Ivorian Football Federation announced Tuesday that it had appointed the 57-year-old Renard to the post, according to Reuters and other media.Ivory Coast reached the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time under Emerse Fae but was eliminated with a 2-1 loss to Norway in the Round of 32. Fae, who had also guided the team to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations title, was not retained after the tournament.Renard took over Tunisia during the World Cup after the team replaced its coach following a 5-1 opening loss to Sweden. He was unable to reverse its fortunes, however, as Tunisia also lost to Japan and the Netherlands to finish the tournament without a point.Renard previously coached the national teams of Zambia, Angola, Morocco and Saudi Arabia, and led the French women's national team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He also managed Ivory Coast from 2014 to 2015, guiding the team to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations title.Renard was among the candidates considered after South Korea's appointments of Paulo Bento and Hong Myung-bo, and his name resurfaced again after Hong stepped down following the 2026 World Cup.He will now lead Ivory Coast into the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, as the team seeks another continental title.(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)