From Zambia to the Arab World: Hervé Renard’s Relentless Quest for World Cup Glory

Early chapters: Ghana, Africa, and the first detours

In July 2007, French coach Hervé Renard—who would later guide Saudi Arabia on the road to a World Cup—began his international coaching journey after years in club football, often as an assistant. He joined Ghana as an assistant under French manager Claude Le Roy, stepping into a prominent regional stage while still learning the nuances of national-team leadership.

That Ghana chapter did not last long. After the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations staged in Ghana, where the Black Stars finished third, the entire technical staff was dismissed, leaving Renard to recalibrate his path. The setback did not end his career; it redirected it toward a broader canvas where he would become a head coach and technical director across clubs and national teams.

Renard’s next moves took him through France and North Africa, including stints at Sochaux and Lille in France and a brief spell with USM Alger in Algeria. Those years, though not always in the limelight, helped him refine a philosophy that would later prove crucial in his most high-profile assignments. Across roughly 18 years of coaching, he navigated four World Cup qualifying campaigns and learned to blend patience with audacity, a combination that would serve him well in later Arab campaigns.

The Zambia years: AFCON glory and World Cup pursuit

In May 2008, the Zambian Football Association hired Renard as the national team's head coach, tasked with steering them through the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. The group stage paired Zambia with Swaziland and Togo, where Renard oversaw two wins, a draw, and a single defeat, a performance that allowed the team to top the group and advance to the final qualifying phase.

However, luck and form would test him again as the final round pitted Zambia against Egypt, Algeria, and Rwanda. Despite a spirited start—Renard secured a point in Cairo against Egypt and a win over Rwanda—Zambia ultimately finished behind the frontrunner and failed to reach the World Cup. Yet Renard’s tenure did not end with that setback; he remained in charge through the Africa Cup of Nations in 2010 in Angola, where Zambia reached the quarterfinals for the first time in 14 years before bowing out to Nigeria on penalties.

After the AFCON 2010 campaign, Renard experimented with a few short-term projects, including a stint with Angola and later coaching roles at USM Alger, Sochaux, and Lille. He would return to Zambia at year's end, continuing to build his legend, and in 2012 he would complete a new chapter for the nation, guiding Zambia to its first Africa Cup of Nations title in history after a landmark campaign that included upsets against Senegal, Ghana, and Ivory Coast.

Morocco and Saudi Arabia: a continental odyssey

The post-2012 period saw Renard briefly venture back to club duties (Sochaux) and then take on a national-team assignment in Morocco in 2016. His task was formidable: end a 20-year World Cup absence for the Atlas Lions and steer a squad packed with talent through a tough qualifying group featuring Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, and Mali. While the early phase was rocky—draws away to Gabon and Côte d'Ivoire—the late push yielded a historic 2-0 victory over Côte d'Ivoire in the final qualifying match, sending Morocco to the 2018 World Cup and ending the long wait for the Red and Green Army.

After a brief interlude with the Moroccan national team, Renard moved to another Arab project in Saudi Arabia in 2019. The aim was clear: modernize a squad that had stumbled in World Cup qualifying and drive them through the AFC qualifiers for 2026. The 2022 cycle showcased a rapid start—six wins in seven matches, including a 23-point haul that left rivals like Japan and Australia chasing—and culminated in a World Cup appearance that reinforced Renard’s status as a master of navigating high-stakes campaigns.

As the 2026 path unfolded, Renard found himself facing Iraq in a multipoint scenario where a direct World Cup berth could be secured with a win or a draw, avoiding a global playoff. He carried forward a reputation built on Arab-region successes, while also bearing the memory of earlier near-misses in Africa where World Cup dreams slipped away despite moments of brilliance.

Renard’s journey—spanning continents, governing bodies, and the pressures of continental finals—illustrates a coaching career defined by resilience, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of qualification dreams. His record—leading Morocco and Saudi Arabia to World Cup appearances after challenging beginnings with Zambia—underscores a narrative of growth, risk-taking, and the art of turning setbacks into stepping stones.

In the end, Renard’s story is a reminder that football is a passport business: you collect stamps, face new climates, and still manage to lift trophies and qualify for the world stage. His Arab chapters, in particular, show how a coach can translate continental experience into global ambitions, all while maintaining a sense of humor about the grand ritual of the game.

Punchline 1: If patience were a ball, Renard would dribble it past every defender and still have time for tea after extra time.

Punchline 2: Renard’s career is the kind of package deal that comes with a passport stamp and a trophy—call it the Renard-iculous persistence tour.