Ivory Coast Name French Coach Patrice Beaumelle

Ivory Coast have appointed Frenchman Patrice Beaumelle as national team head coach to replace Ibrahim Camara.

Beaumelle takes over less than a month before Ivory Coast’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Madagascar.

Ivorian football officials said the new coach’s immediate task is to prepare the Elephants for the two back to back matches set to be played at the end of March.

The Elephants will be Beaumelle’s second national team post in Africa after a short stint with the Zambia national team in 2013.

The 41-year-old’s most recent job was in Morocco where he served as national team’s assistant coach, who he left by mutual consent in July last year.

Camara was sacked after falling out with outgoing Ivorian Football Federation president Sidy Diallo, as he could not listen to anyone on any matter concerning the upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The exact details of the deal signed by Beamumelle have not been made public yet.

Ivory Coast are in the third place in Group K of the qualifying matches for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, with three points, four points adrift of leaders Madagascar.