Michel Dussuyer has been confirmed as the new coach of the Cote D’Ivoire national football team, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) revealed.

The Frenchman joins the Elephants to replace compatriot Herve Renard, who took the decision to resign from the national team in order to take over French Ligue 1 club Lille, following the team’s title winning success at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Equatorial Guinea.

The original shortlist of five top coaches which the Ivorian authorities were considering included Henryk Kasperczak, Patrice Neveu, Dussuyer, Paulo Duarte and Frederic Antonetti, but the list was reduced to Dussuyer and Antonetti last week.

Dussuyer has the experience of coaching Benin in 2008 and Guinea on two occasions, leading them to the 2015 Nations Cup. The 56-year-old’s previous experience in Africa was a major advantage for him over his rivals, and the fact that in 2006 he was an assistant coach to Henri Michel for the Cote d’Ivoire national team.

The Frenchman signed a two-year deal with the Elephants, with an option to extend his contract through good performances.

Dussuyer will now lead the current African champions towards their goals of qualifying to defend their title at the 2017 AFCON in Gabon, and of course to represent Africa at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.