By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp
ANKARA (AA) – Ivory Coast's football authority on Wednesday sacked national team head coach Jean-Louis Gasset before the Elephants barely reached the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) knockout stage.
French-born Gasset and his deputy, Ghislain Marie Joseph, were both fired for "insufficient results in the Africa Cup of Nations," the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) said in a statement.
Emerse Fae, the U23 team manager, has been given additional interim responsibilities, the statement added.
Ivory Coast, one of the leading football nations on the continent, lost to Equatorial Guinea 4-0 in the Africa Cup of Nations Group A game on Monday, a huge defeat for the hosts.
But then Ivory Coast, which finished third in their group, advanced to the last 16.
The Elephants were among the four highest-ranked third-place nations in the group stage after Morocco beat Zambia 1-0 in the other group to send Ivory Coast to the AFCON knockouts.
In the last 16, former champions Ivory Coast will play against 2021 winners Senegal on Monday.