Herve Rinard returns to Ivory Coast after brief Tunisia stint
French coach Herve Rinard has returned to coach Ivory Coast's national football team after a short stint with Tunisia at the 2026 World Cup. Rinard took over Tunisia after their opening 1-5 loss to Sweden but failed to turn things around, with subsequent defeats to Japan and Netherlands. Tunisia was the only African team not to advance to the knockout stage.
What happened with Rinard in Tunisia?
Rinard replaced Sabri Lamouchi after Tunisia's heavy loss to Sweden. However, the team's performance did not improve, losing 0-2 to Japan and 0-3 to Netherlands. Their World Cup ended with a 1-3 loss to Netherlands on June 25, 2026, finishing with 0 points from 3 games and a -10 goal difference (2 scored, 12 conceded).
Why does this return matter?
Rinard returns to Ivory Coast, where he led them to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations title. This move strengthens their ambitions for the next Africa Cup, hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It also opens the door for Tunisia to seek a new coach to improve after a poor World Cup showing.
What's next?
Ivory Coast begins their qualifying campaign next month against Ghana and Somalia. Meanwhile, Tunisia looks for a new coach to boost their future performance, especially with teams like Netherlands leading them by 7 points in the standings.
