Starting the competition on the bench for Ivory Coast before resigning after the group stage, Jean-Louis Gasset will not be crowned African champion even if the Elephants win, according to the competition services.
Jean-Louis Gasset will not add the Africa Cup of Nations to his list of achievements. He was the head coach of Ivory Coast, which qualified for the final against Nigeria on Sunday (9 p.m.), at the start of the Africa Cup of Nations. However, the former assistant to Laurent Blanc at Bordeaux and PSG resigned from his position after the humiliating defeat to Equatorial Guinea (4-0) in the last group match. He did not even wait to see the fate of his team – which miraculously qualified for the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams – before confirming his departure.
“He also contributed to this victory,” assures Fofana
Even though he started the competition with the Elephants, he will not be considered among the winners if Serge Aurier’s teammates are crowned on Sunday. His resignation will prevent him from claiming the title, according to the competition services of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The honors would go to his former assistant, Emerse Faé, who has successfully led the team since the round of 16, with victories against Senegal (1-1, 5-4 on penalties), Mali (2-1 after extra time), and DR Congo (1-0).
Gasset, however, remains in the minds of some players, like Seko Fofana, who paid him a heartfelt tribute on Wednesday night after qualifying for the final. “As I’ve always said, we have a lot of gratitude for what he has done with the group,” said the former Lens player. “I think we are continuing his work.
He selected the group.” “Today, maybe we needed this challenge to give the team a spark, but I honestly think it would have been the same if he had been there,” concluded the Al-Ettifaq player. “Today, we have a big thought for him, and I know he has a big thought for us. The goodbyes were difficult, with a lot of emotion, tears, and also a lot of words. We knew we had to do it also for him. I think he also contributes to this victory.”
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