Ivory Coast have named former Reading and Nantes midfielder Emerse Fae as their new head coach at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The former Premier League player takes charge on an interim basis following the dismissal of Jean-Louis Gasset as Ivory Coast coach at the end of an abysmal group stage outing on home soil.
Ivory Coast finished third in Group A with three points from three games, losing to Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea but they made it into the knockout round as one of the best losers.
Fae appeared before the press on Sunday as the Elephants prepare for their round of 16 game against Senegal on Monday.
Who is Emerse Fae?
The 40-year-old is a former Ivory Coast international who was part of the Elephants squad that finished as runners-up at the 2006 and 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The France-born coach spent the entirety of his career in Europe, playing in England and France.
Fae struggled to impress in the Premier League with Reading as he was limited to just 11 appearances before the club’s relegation to the Championship and his return to France.
During his playing career, Fae played dominantly as a midfielder and he was renowned for his physicality and aggressiveness but he was forced to retire from football at the young age of 28 due to phlebitis – inflammation of a vein in the leg.
Emerse Fae’s previous coaching experience
Fae completed his coaching career at his former club Nantes and he went on to coach the Ligue 1 club’s youth teams before joining Clermont as reserve team head coach.
In May 2022, the Ivorian was appointed head coach of the Ivory Coast U23 team and assistant to Jean-Louis Gasset who was in charge of Ivory Coast’s national team.
What did Emerse Fae say ahead of Senegal game?
The caretaker coach told the media that Ivory Coast are motivated after their lucky qualification in the Round of 16 after Morocco’s 1-0 win over Zambia.
Fae said: “The way we qualified for the round of 16 is a source of motivation. We have gone through the back door and we must show another face to the people. For these reasons alone, players will be motivated.
“For my part, it’s a group that I’ve known for a year and a half. I know the words and behaviours to change or regain our state of mind that we lost after the first match against Guinea-Bissau. I don’t worry about that. The players know what I expect from them for the match.
“We must show in terms of state of mind that we are still Cote d’Ivoire.”
