The move by the AFCON hosts comes on the heels of a similar decision by the Ghana Football Federation

The ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has witnessed its second coaching casualty.

On Wednesday, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) released an official statement indicating they have terminated the contract of 70-year-old French coach Jean-Louis Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant.

Gasset, who has coached for more than 35 years in France and Spain, took over the Elephants from Patrice Beaumelle in May 2022.

The drastic move by the AFCON hosts comes on the heels of a similar decision by the Ghana Football Federation who have also relieved Chris Hughton of his role as Black Stars' coach after a poor outing in Cote d'Ivoire

Displeased with "insufficient results," by Gasset, despite initial optimism, the Elephants are ready to start all over again.

"The contracts of coach-selector Jean-Louis Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant are terminated for insufficient results," indicates the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) in a press release.

A promising opening win over Guinea-Bissau was overshadowed by a narrow loss to Nigeria and a disastrous 4-0 thrashing by Equatorial Guinea, crushing the hopes of the home crowd.

With their fate hanging in the balance, FIF decided to act, leaving Emerse Faé, a former Ivorian midfielder, to potentially lead the team through the knockout stages if they qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.