Emerse Fae: Ivory Coast Boss Gives Honest Response About Future Even if He Wins 2023 AFCON Final

• Emerse Fae has opened up about his future as Ivory Coast manager
• The 40-year-old took over from Jean Louis-Gasset after the latter's dismissal
• He would be hoping to lead Ivory Coast to AFCON success against Nigeria

Emerse Fae has provided insight into his future prospects as the head coach of Ivory Coast beyond the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations.

Fae finds himself on the brink of both personal and national glory as the Elephants stand just one match away from securing their third AFCON title, adding to their previous victories in 1992 and 2015.

Initially stepping in as interim coach following the dismissal of Jean Louis-Gasset after a challenging group-stage campaign, where Ivory Coast managed only one win in three matches, Fae has overseen a remarkable transformation.

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Under his guidance, a previously disjointed team has evolved into a formidable unit, displaying unwavering determination to bring joy to the Ivorian people.

Having triumphed over defending champions Senegal in a tense penalty shootout during the round of 16, the AFCON hosts demonstrated resilience to secure a dramatic victory over Mali in extra time before extinguishing DR Congo's hopes in the semifinal.

With only Nigeria standing between them and the title, Emerse, a former midfielder who narrowly missed out on AFCON glory as a player in 2006, is now positioned to achieve the ultimate prize as a coach.

When asked if he will be disappointed about the possibility of not securing the permanent coaching position with Ivory Coast even in the event of winning the title, Fae responded candidly with his thoughts, as captured by Sports Brief.

"Disappointment, no. Because I will still have the cup at home.

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"But on a more serious note, we take it one step at a time. The most important thing is to prepare for tomorrow well, and after that, we will have a chance to think about the future.

"To be honest, I've asked my leaders not to talk about the future. It's not even relevant at this time because our attention is on the final.

Sacked Ivory Coast coach backs Nigeria

In a previous article, Sports Brief revisited Emerse Fae's predecessor, Jean-Louis Gasset, who has contributed his insights to the pre-match discussion surrounding the AFCON final.

Despite being relieved of his duties due to the host nation's underwhelming performance in the group stage, the experienced gaffer has offered his opinion on which teams he believes hold the upper hand in the upcoming showdown.

The 70-year-old appeared to favour the Super Eagles as the frontrunners to emerge victorious against Les Elephants. Gasset attributed this prediction to the exceptional skills of star centre forward Victor Osimhen.