Hervé Renard has not closed the African chapter. In an interview with Jeune Afrique, the French coach (two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015) reflects on his journey, his attachment to the continent, and especially his time at the helm of Morocco (2016-2019), which he now summarizes as a largely successful experience.
Morocco, “a project” that marked Renard
Renard explains that he retains “90% positive” from his adventure with the Atlas Lions. At the heart of his account is the structuring of Moroccan football, which he attributes to the dynamic initiated by Fouzi Lekjaâ, president of the FRMF, whom he presents as a key player in modernization (infrastructure, professional framework, demands).
In this continuity, Renard recalls his role in the sports revival of the national team, particularly with the qualification for the 2018 World Cup — a feat that Morocco had not achieved since 1998.
A message that also speaks to the Atlas Lions
The former coach also highlights the emergence of several players who have become references. He notably cites Achraf Hakimi and Youssef En-Nesyri, whom he claims to have integrated into the national team project during that period. A clear message: his time in Morocco was not a mere interlude, but a structuring step in the rise of the group.
Renard announces his return to Africa… under conditions
The strongest statement from the interview is unequivocal: he asserts that he will “once again coach a national team in Africa,” without providing a timeline or a specific country. Renard mentions past rumors (Senegal, Nigeria), while explaining why they did not materialize: insufficient conditions on one side, and an unfavorable sports context on the other.
His main criterion, he insists, is not money: he wants a structured federation and a solid sports project. Implicitly, he describes exactly the type of environment he says he appreciated in Morocco: organization, vision, and working framework.
A message that also speaks to the Atlas Lions
For Morocco, these statements resonate as a reminder: the Renard era left a foundation, standards, and a project logic. And while the Atlas Lions have since written history at another level, the former coach claims his share in the trajectory.
