Appointed as Ivory Coast's head coach at the beginning of August, Hervé Renard will now be judged on the pitch. His second spell in charge of the Elephants will officially begin on September 24, hosting Ghana in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The schedule will then pick up pace. Within just a few days, the French coach will oversee three matches that will give a first indication of the impact of his return.
🔥 Ghana to start
📅 September 24, 2026
🇨🇮 Ivory Coast 🆚 Ghana
🏆 2027 AFCON qualifiers
🏟️ Stade de la Paix, Bouaké
For his first official match since his return, Renard will come face to face with an old acquaintance. Ghana will be the Elephants' first opponent in Group C, which also features Gambia and Somalia.
An inevitably special fixture for the French coach: it was against the Black Stars that Ivory Coast won the 2015 AFCON, under his leadership.
🗓️ Four days later, Somalia
📅 September 29, 2026
🇸🇴 Somalia 🆚 Ivory Coast
🏆 2027 AFCON qualifiers
The Elephants will quickly follow up with the second matchday of qualifiers. The match is scheduled for September 29, though uncertainty remains over the exact venue, as Somalia may request to host the match in Ivory Coast.
The objective will be clear: get the qualifying campaign off to a good start and collect as many points as possible in Group C.
🔥 Cameroon to finish
📅 October 3, 2026
🇨🇮 Ivory Coast 🆚 Cameroon
🤝 Friendly match
🏟️ Stade Alassane-Ouattara, Ebimpé
Just after the first two matchdays of qualifiers, the Elephants will already come up against another African heavyweight. Ivory Coast are set to face Cameroon in a friendly on October 3 in Abidjan.
This third fixture will give Renard a further opportunity to test his squad, possibly bring in new players, and work on his tactical patterns against a top-tier side.
🎯 Three matches to shape the Elephants' new look
These three matches will therefore represent the first real test of Hervé Renard's second spell in charge of Ivory Coast.
Ghana will officially kick off his return, Somalia will allow him to continue the qualifying campaign, and Cameroon will provide a first major friendly test.
🔥 Three matches in a matter of days, three opportunities for Renard to lay the first foundations of his new project with the Elephants.
The countdown has begun. 🇨🇮
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