AFCON: Ivory Coast part-way with Gasset as hosts face exit

Ivory Coast, on Wednesday, parted way with coach Jean-Louis Gasset midway through the tournament, the country’s football federation (FIF) announced on Wednesday.

This is coming following a shambolic performance by the hosts of Africa Cup of Nations

“The contracts of coach Jean-Louis Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant are terminated due to insufficient results,” the FIF said in a statement.

Ivory Coast slipped to the brink of a humiliating exit from the Africa Cup of Nations after suffering a 4-0 thrashing by Equatorial Guinea in their final Group A game in Abidjan on Monday.

The two-time champions need results to go in their favour in Wednesday’s final group matches to reach the knock-out phase as one of the four best third-placed teams.

Emilio Nsue scored a double to follow up his hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau as Equatorial Guinea finished top of the group ahead of Nigeria on goal difference.

Nigeria saw off Guinea-Bissau 1-0 in the group’s other game.

Ivory Coast have only failed to get out of the group phase once in the previous nine tournament editions, in 2017.

Jean-Louis Gasset’s men need a series of results to go in their favour to avoid sliding out of the competition after suffering their heaviest-ever home defeat.