Ivory Coast has dismissed their head coach, Jean-Louis Gasset, from his position despite the host nation’s aspirations of securing a spot in the last-16 of AFCON.

“I am desperate to win a title here,” expressed Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, after his team’s victory over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final. Pochettino seemed content and satisfied with his team’s performance, as they secured a spot in the final of the prestigious tournament.

In a surprising turn of events, Ivory Coast has decided to part ways with their head coach, Jean-Louis Gasset, despite still having a chance to progress to the last 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations. The host nation suffered a devastating 4-0 defeat against Equatorial Guinea, leaving their fate in the hands of other results. With three points from three group games, Ivory Coast is hoping to advance as one of the best four third-placed teams.

If Ivory Coast manages to reach the last 16, their next game will be under the guidance of former midfielder Emerse Fae, who has taken charge of the team. Gasset reportedly resigned following the loss to Equatorial Guinea, leading to the country’s football federation (FIF) confirming their decision to terminate his contract. The FIF stated, “The contracts of coach Jean-Louis Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant are terminated due to insufficient results.”

It is worth noting that Ivory Coast has only failed to progress from the group stage once in their previous nine attempts at the AFCON. The final round of group games will take place on Wednesday, January 24, with South Africa facing Tunisia and Namibia going up against Mali in Group E. Group F will conclude with Tanzania playing against DR Congo and Zambia taking on Morocco.

Gasset’s dismissal marks the second head coach to be sacked this week at the AFCON, adding to the drama and unpredictability of the tournament. Ivory Coast will now have to regroup and find a way to overcome this setback if they want to continue their journey in the competition.