NATIONAL TEAM - IVORY COAST - COACH - Michel Dussuyer named as new coach

AFRICA CUP 2015

Frenchman Michel Dussuyer has been appointed as the new coach of African champions Ivory Coast, according to the country's football federation (FIF). 

56 year old Dussuyer has signed a two-year deal with the option to extend the contract.

He was on a final shortlist of two names along with compatriot Frederic Antonetti, after a third shortlisted candidate - Poland's Henry Kasperczak - withdrew to take over the vacant Tunisia coaching position.

Dussuyer replaces Herve Renard, who won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast in Equatorial Guinea in February.

Renard resigned as coach of The Elephants to become a club coach with French side Lille.

Dussuyer has considerable experience in coaching in Africa.

He had three stints as coach of Guinea, and most recently took the Syli Nationale to the quarter-finals of the 2015 Nations Cup, where they eventually lost to runners-up Ghana.

He also coached Benin between 2008 and 2010 and before that, he worked as an assistant to Henri Michel with the Ivory Coast.

His first competitive match in charge of the Ivory Coast will be their 2017 Nations Cup qualifier against Sierra Leone in September.