The Ivory Coast Football Federation (FIF) has emulated Ghana and terminated the contracts of coach Jean-Louis Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant after a dismal performance at the Africa Cup of Nations, which they are hosting.
The FIF announced on Wednesday that the duo had failed to meet their contractual objectives and were shown the door with immediate effect.
The decision came after the Elephants were thrashed 4-0 by Equatorial Guinea in their final Group A match on Monday, their worst ever home defeat.
Earlier in the day, Ghana had confirmed the exit of coach Chris Hughton, who could not lead the Black Stars to the knock-out stage of the tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, shortly after the team’s elimination was confirmed.
The result left the two-time winners in third place with three points, hoping for a miracle to qualify for the last 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
The FIF said that Emerse Fae, a former Ivory Coast player and one of Gasset’s coaches, would take charge of the team on a temporary basis if they advance to the next round.
Gasset, a Frenchman, had been in charge since May 2022, but could not prevent the team from losing two of their three group games, including a 1-0 defeat by Nigeria.
Their only win was a 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau in their opener.
The Ivory Coast’s fate now depends on the outcomes of the final group games in Groups E and F on Wednesday. They need Morocco to beat Zambia and either Mali or Tunisia to win their respective matches to secure a spot in the next round.
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