Emerse Fae received official recognition on Monday for leading Ivory Coast to victory in the African Cup of Nations, being appointed as the full-time coach after initially serving as the interim coach.
The announcement came from Idriss Diallo, the head of the Ivorian federation, who confirmed that Emerse Fae, previously the interim coach, has now been officially appointed as the full coach.
The Elephants found themselves in a precarious position during the tournament when they dismissed veteran French coach Jean-Louis Gasset in January after winning only one of their three group games.
Following Gasset’s departure, Emerse Fae, a former Ivorian international with no prior coaching experience, assumed the coaching role.
Despite facing elimination, the Ivorian team’s fortunes changed when results in subsequent matches favored them, allowing them to progress as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Under Fae’s guidance, Ivory Coast demonstrated remarkable resilience in the tournament.
They staged a comeback from behind to defeat defending champions Senegal on penalties in the Round of 16.
Subsequently, with 10 men for a significant portion of the match, they overcame Mali in extra time in the quarter-finals.
Advancing to the final, Ivory Coast secured a 1-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a thrilling finale against Nigeria, they once again rallied from a deficit, emerging triumphant with a 2-1 scoreline to clinch the African Cup of Nations trophy.
Fae’s appointment as the full-time coach reflects the success and resilience demonstrated by the team under his leadership.
