French coaches always had their place in Africa Cup of Nations book of records, but two of them have a very special feat to commemorate; Claude Le Roy and Herve Renard.
Le Roy holds the record for most appearances for a coach in AFCON history (nine), and most number of national teams guided in the continent’s showpiece (six). Meanwhile, Renard remains the only coach to win the AFCON title with two different teams; Zambia (2012) and Cote d’Ivoire (2015).
Claude Le Roy
The French tactician is an Africa Cup of Nations icon, after appearing in its finals for a record nine times, with six different national teams. He won the title once with Cameroon in 1988.
Le Roy started his African adventure when he took over the Indomitable Lions in 1985. He led Cameroon to second place in Egypt 1986, then to the trophy two years later in Morocco.
The journeyman also featured twice with Senegal, in Algeria 1990 and at home in 1992. He waited till 2006 to appear in his fifth AFCON and with a third team, DR Congo. Two years later he was coach for hosts Ghana. He had his second appearance with DR Congo in South Africa 2013.
In Equatorial Guinea 2015 Le Roy took part in the Africa Cup of Nations with another team, Congo. And he had his ninth AFCON appearance and with a sixth different national team in Togo in 2017.
Herve Renard
Renard first came to the continent as an assistant to no one but mentor Le Roy, with Ghana in 2008. He took part in six AFCON campaigns and with three different teams; Zambia (2010, 2012 and 2013), Cote d’Ivoire (2015) and Morocco (2017 and 2019).
But it is his record of being the only coach in AFCON history to win the title with two different teams that makes him a standout. In Gabon and Equatorial Guinea 2012, Renard led Zambia’s Chipolopolo to their maiden trophy. Three years later, and also in Equatorial Guinea, he had his second AFCON glory, this time with the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire. No other coach has won the Africa Cup of Nations title with different teams.
