Coach Emerse Fae (40) has set his sights on helping Cote d’Ivoire defend their Africa Cup of Nations title and secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The young tactician was named Africa’s Best Coach at the recent CAF Awards held in Marrakech, Morocco, surpassing Sebastien Desabre and Hugo Broos.
Fae rose to prominence after guiding the Elephants to their third African title on home soil, following the departure of Jean-Louis Gasset, who was sacked midway through the tournament.
According to the former Nantes and Nice star, being named Africa’s best coach comes with a heavy burden of expectation. However, he is confident in his ability to help the West African side defend their title in Morocco next year, which is his next goal.
“Yes, it does add a bit more pressure because, as someone just starting their career, many people have high expectations. But I enjoy the challenge it brings,” Fae told Flashscore.
“I like challenges and I just want to show people that it was not an accident. It is the beginning of a big career and I have to show what I’m capable of.
“Qualifying for the next one (AFCON) was crucial for me because we won at home, and it’s important to be here in Morocco to defend the cup.
“It’s going to be a very tough competition because many teams have talented players and a real chance of winning. But I enjoy challenges, and I’m ready for it.
“I like it and I just want to be in Morocco quickly to play and try to win here because I was not supposed to win the last one as a coach but I managed to achieve it in just four games.
“And I think it’s important for my staff and me to prove that we can deliver from the start of the competition to the very end.”
Before the biennial African showpiece in Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire would aim to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, after missing the last two editions in Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022).
Cote d’Ivoire’s last appearance in the FIFA World Cup was at Brazil 2014, where they were eliminated in the group stage after failing to advance past Colombia, Greece, and Japan in Group C.
To qualify for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the Elephants must navigate their way through a tough group featuring Gabon, Burundi, Gambia, Seychelles, and Kenya.
Fae acknowledges that another World Cup miss would be unacceptable, stating that his team is fully prepared to be at their best in the upcoming fixtures.
He continued: “It’s important for our country because we missed the last two World Cups. Being in the next one is vital, especially with nine – possibly 10 – African teams participating in the tournament.
“It would be hard to accept the Ivory Coast not making it to the World Cup. This challenge is very important to me and has been on my mind since our last game against Chad in the AFCON qualifiers.
“We’re going to give it our all. We’re going to work extremely hard to be prepared for the match. Our goal is to win our next two games against Burundi and Gambia, maintain the top spot in the group, and increase our chances of qualifying for the World Cup.”
He further stated that managing the star players in the Elephants squad would not pose a challenge, thanks to his leadership style.
Fae added: “It’s not a problem for me. I think the fact that I’m a young coach is not a problem to manage these big players.
“I just want to be equal with all the players, with the youngest, with the oldest. I just try to do my job the same way for all the players.
“When you’re equal, I think the players want to try to do their best in the field to win each game.”
Three-time African champions, Cote d’Ivoire, currently lead their World Cup qualifying group with 10 points from four matches. They will face Burundi in their next fixture in March 2025 at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.