Victorious interim Cote d'Ivoire coach Faé to consider future during holidays

Cote d'Ivoire interim head coach Emerse Faé set off on holiday on Wednesday to recover from leading his team to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations title and consider whether to take the job on a permanent basis. 

Cote d'Ivoire interim head coach Emerse Faé says he will think about whether he should take the job on a permanent basis after spending some time on holidays to recover from leading the team to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations title. AFP - KENZO TRIBOUILLARD

The former Cote d'Ivoire international midfielder was handed the role on 24 January as the side he had been coaching as an assistant to Jean-Louis Gasset waited to find out if it had qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament.

Three weeks and four enthralling matches later, the Ivorians were hoisting the trophy for the third time after beating Nigeria 2-1 in the final on 11 February at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.

On Monday, tens of thousands of jubilant fans filled the streets of Abidjan for a victory parade.

After the four-hour love-in, the team arrived at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny for a lap of honour around the former national stadium.

Wearing 'African champions' T-shirts the squad and coaches hailed adoring fans who were mostly decked out in orange - the national colour. 

Honour

On Tuesday, Faé and his squad were given bonus payments and villas during a presidential ceremony to celebrate the triumph.

Each member of the squad was handed 50 million CFA francs (77,000) euros and a villa of the same value.

Coach Fae received 155,000 euros for masterminding the march to glory following Gasset's departure in the wake of the 4-0 defeat against Equatorial Guinea on 22 January.

"You have brought happiness to all Ivorians, bravo, bravo," said President Alassane Ouattara before awarding the players the national order - the highest public distinction in the country.

Faé, whose playing days ended in 2012 due to persistent injuries, started his coaching career with the Nice under-19 team soon after.

After nine years on the French riviera, he moved to the reserve team at Clermont before joining Gasset's staff.

"It is greater than a fairytale," said Faé of the Ivorian surge.

"When I think about all we have been through, the difficult moments, moments when we were behind, when we came back in the last minute of games. We are miracle survivors."