Jean-Louis Gasset has been dismissed as the coach of Ivory Coast, the hosts of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, just two days after a 4-0 defeat against Equatorial Guinea.
The defeat marked Ivory Coast’s heaviest home loss in history, and they become the first Afcon host to lose two group games since 1984. Despite the setback, there is still a slim chance for the Elephants to progress to the last 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Emerse Fae, one of Gasset’s coaches, will lead the team on an interim basis. The country’s football federation cited “insufficient results” as the reason for terminating the contracts of the 70-year-old Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant.
Ivory Coast ended the group stage with three points in Group A, having suffered a 1-0 loss to Nigeria after a 2-0 win against Guinea-Bissau in their opening match. The hosts now await the results of the last group games on Wednesday to determine their fate.
Despite the shock defeat in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s chances of progressing were boosted when Group B concluded with Ghana finishing third in the table on two points.
Gasset, the former Bordeaux coach, was appointed in May 2022, succeeding compatriot Patrice Beaumelle. Beaumelle’s contract was not renewed after Ivory Coast failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup and exited the last Nations Cup in Cameroon.
