The information was already known on 21 March, but the Red Devil's former coach, Marc Wilmots, has been appointed coach of the Ivory Coast national team. He met the ECC of Wallonia Export-Investment Agency, Guillaume de Bassompierre (photo), at the Belgian Embassy.
The Belgian, Marc Wilmots has been chosen as the new coach of the Elephants by the Ivorian International Football Federation. He replaces Michel Dussuyer, who resigned following the Elephants' elimination in the first round of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Free since leaving his position as Belgian coach after Euro 2016, the Belgian has signed a two-year contract. Therefore, it will only have taken the 48-year old Marc Wilmots a few months to find a substitutes' bench after leaving his position as coach of the Belgian Red Devils in summer 2016. The former striker for Sint-Truiden, Mechelen, Standard Liège (Belgium), Bordeaux and Schalke 04, who has 70 selections and who scored 28 goals with his country, had already been contacted by Algeria last autumn. With the 2018 World Cup in his sights, his mission will be to ensure that the Elephants qualify for the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations during the qualifying rounds that will start on 12 or 13 June in Abidjan with a match against Guinea. Before this, the Ivorians will play a friendly match against the Netherlands on 4 June. This will be the Belgian's first official appearance on the bench of the 2015 African champions.
Wilmots was chosen, in particular, over Patrice Carteron and Paul Le Guen from France, Carlos Quieroz from Portugal and Guus Hiddink from the Netherlands. The resident of Wallonia started his career as a trainer with Schalke 04 in 2003, shortly after retiring. He also managed Sint-Truiden, before being embraced by the federal division, firstly as assistant manager for Belgium (2009-2012), before taking over the reins of the team, making the Red Devils one of the best teams in Europe. We should find Ibrahim Kamara in Wilmots’ team, already Dussuyer's number two, who will manage the team during the two friendly matches in March. The Red Devils' former fitness coach, Mario Innaurato, who is currently on temporary assignment in the United Arab Emirates, may also be joining them.
Source: Alexis Billebaut - for Jeune Afrique
