The President of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF), Idriss Diallo, has confirmed that Emerse Faé will continue as the head coach of the national team, ending recent speculation about his future.
Diallo made the announcement during an interview with the national broadcaster RTI 2 in Abidjan. He stressed the need for stability and respect for the federation’s decisions.
“We need to be serious,” Diallo stated. “I want Ivorians to respect themselves and their country. You have a coach who was appointed for the Africa Cup of Nations, with a staff we put in place. This coach won the AFCON.”
Faé, who was initially appointed on an interim basis, led the team to a remarkable Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil earlier this year. Diallo highlighted this and other key achievements as reasons for continued support.
“Following that, he qualified us for the World Cup, a competition we haven’t been able to attend since 2014 in Brazil. We reached the AFCON, and he reached the quarterfinals, making us the sixth African team to do so,” Diallo explained, referencing the team’s performance in the recent tournament.
The FIF President made it clear he would not yield to external pressures regarding the coaching position. “I won’t give in to pressure. I work seriously for my country. Emerse Faé has our confidence and he stays.”
While affirming his backing, Diallo noted that improvement is always expected. “Faé will have to work to improve his weaknesses, like any human being. I hope he will work on them. We will go to the World Cup with Faé.”
He concluded with a firm message intended to close the discussion: “This debate needs to end here.”
The confirmation secures Faé’s position as the man to lead the Elephants to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, aiming to build on the team’s recent successes.