The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) confirmed on Wednesday that they have parted ways with head coach Jean-Louis Gasset over “insufficient results in accordance to the contract of objectives they had with the FIF”.
“The contracts of coach Jean-Louis Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant are terminated due to insufficient results,” the football association announced in a statement.
Following Gasset’s sack, FIF said former Ivory Coast midfielder Emerse Faé will take charge of the team, if they do reach the last 16.
Ivory Coast is presently hosting the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The team suffered a catastrophic defeat on Monday, after Equatorial Guinea beat them 4-0 in its final group game, much to the exasperation of the football association.
The disappointing loss marked the country’s worst home defeat ever at the African Cup of Nations. Angry fans lashed out by vandalising commuter buses parked outside the stadium.
“The Ivorian Football Federation expresses its regret for the progress of the Elephants during the group stage of AFCON 2023.
“However, it remains convinced of the potential of our football team, and calls on everyone to unite for all the challenges ahead,” FIF said in a statement.
Gasset in an after-game interview, described the defeat as “a catastrophic scenario”.
“There are sometimes nightmare matches, matches where everything seems to be against you,” he said.
The 70-year-old head coach who has been in charge of the Elephants since 2022, had reportedly turned in his resignation after the momentous defeat.