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AFRICA Cup winning coach Herve Renard has resigned as Zambia trainer after 43 games in charge of which he won 17, drew 15 and lost 11. He has joined French top league side FC Sochaux.
This is the second resignation for Renard who quit the Zambia job in 2010 to join Angola, two years after joining the Chipolopolo.
The most striking memory of his second stint is winning the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations title, Zambia’s first, after outshooting the Elephants of Ivory Coast who boasted the likes of Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Gervinho and a cast of other international stars.
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Kalusha Bwalya, the man Renard respects, immediately showered superlatives on the Frenchman.
“Herve Renard did extremely well for Chipolopolo. Honest, dedicated and hardworking. Wonderful memories. Wishing you all the best” Kalusha posted on Twitter.
And Renard has paid glowing tribute to Kalusha Bwalya and Zambians for according him an opportunity to work with Chipololpolo and for releasing him to take up a new challenge in France.
“I would like to thank Kalusha for this opportunity and for allowing me to further my career. I enjoyed working with him and together we did the best to further the development and rise of the Chipolopolo. I wish the team well.
“I will never forget Zambia,” Renard said.
Renard will reunite with Zambia striker Emmanuel Mayuka at FC Sochaux.
Since joining the Chipolopolo in 2008, Renard has presided over 90 matches. Of these, he won 34, drew 32 and lost 25. This represents a winning percentage of about 39.5 while that of drawing and losing are 33 and 28, respectively.
In his first stint, he was in charge of 47 games, won 19, drew 14 and lost another 14. That represents a winning percentage of 40 while those for draws and losses stand at 30 percent each.
For the second stint during which he won the Africa Cup of Nations title, Renard was in charge of 43 games of which 17 were won, 15 drawn and 11 lost. Basic calculations show that the winning percentage is about 40 while that of drawing and losing are 34 and 25, respectively.
Renard’s contract with the Chipolopolo was set to expire next June.
Sochaux also confirmed on their website that Renard has signed a one-year contract.
“Herve Renard is the new coach of FC Sochaux-Montbeliard. Freed from his obligations with Zambia. We presented him [Renard] at the weekend. He signed until June next year with a one-year renewable option depending on performance.
“His assistant Patrice Beaumelle will not come with him to the Doubs [stadium] and takes charge of Zambia,” stated a statement on the FC Sochaux website.
FAZ communications manager Erick Mwanza said in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday that the Frenchman has been released because he has been offered a job in France.
Mwanza said Beaumelle will take charge of the Chipolopolo starting with next Tuesday’s international friendly against Brazil in Beijing.
“The Football Association of Zambia hereby announces the release of Herve Renard from the job of national coach of the Zambian national football team. The 2012 Nations Cup winning coach has been offered a wonderful opportunity at FC Sochaux in the top league in France.
“FAZ and Herve have consulted and it has been agreed not to stand in his way. It is a compliment for a coach working in Africa to be head-hunted by a top European Club. It makes us proud to be able to take ownership of Herve’s rise as a successful international coach,” Mwanza said.
Apart from winning the Africa Cup, Renard guided the Chipolopolo to the Nelson Mandela Challenge last year, beating South Africa 1-0 courtesy of a Collins Mbesuma thunderbolt.
The 45-year-old also led Zambia to the COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup success this year after edging Zimbabwe 2-0 at Ndola’s Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
Zambia finished third at the 2009 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) in Ivory Coast.
Renard failed to qualify Zambia to the 2014 CHAN finals in South Africa.
Renard played as a defender for French sides AS Cannes, Stade de Vallauris and SC Draguignan in a playing career which lasted from 1983 to 1998.
The ‘Fox’ has had coaching stints at SC Draguignan, Chinese side Shanghai Cosco, English side Cambridge United AS Cherbourg and Algerian side USM Alger.
Renard also worked as assistant coach to compatriot Claude Le Roy with Ghana’s Black Stars from 2006 to 2008.
