Herve Renard reveals what winning AFCON made him feel
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France Women’s national team head coach Herve Renard

Herve Renard reveals what winning AFCON made him feel

Faruq Ibrahim 18:20 - 02.04.2023

New France women's national team head coach Herve Renard speaks on winning the AFCON with Zambia and Ivory Coast.

The new head coach of France's women's national team and two-time AFCON winner, Herve Renard, spoke about what winning the African Championship meant, hinting at why he has spent a huge chunk of his career coaching national teams.  

The 54-year-old was recently named coach of Les Bleues after leaving his coaching role with the Saudi National Team. He famously led Zambia to her first-ever AFCON title in 2010, a feat he repeated in 2015 with Ivory Coast. 

What Renard said 

The former Lille coach was speaking in an interview with Telefoot on the impact of achieving success in international football when he referenced his AFCON triumphs with the Chipolopolo and the Elephants.

Herve Renard
Herve Renard

He explained that the joy such achievements bring to the nation is unrivalled, saying he enjoyed the day after winning the most, suggesting that as the most enjoyable period, one basks in newfound glory. 

He said winning the AFCON was a unifying factor in both countries where he won it, as it brought everyone together across all generations through what he described as a national joy.  

"What is the most beautiful when you win is the day after,” he said.

“I experienced it on an African scale, in two different countries, all generations combined; it brings everyone together through a national joy."

Renard chases World glory with France women 

As we reported in detail here, the FFF announced Renard as the new head coach of the women's national team, ahead of the World Cup taking place in Australia in the summer. 

Renard was appointed manager of the French Women’s National Team on Thursday and will now take his first steps into women’s football with his country of origin, France.

The 54-year-old manager will take over the national team in a period of crisis that saw former head coach Diacre sacked after a number of players asked to be excluded from the team due to her poor management style.   

Renard will have the unenviable task of preparing France for the 2023 Women’s World Cup with only months left to kickoff while also experiencing the rare achievement of playing at two FIFA World Cups in the space of a year. 

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