Renard and Morocco hoping to dump out Ivory Coast

Morocco's head coach Herve Renard conducts a training session on January 22, 2017 in Bitam, during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Gabon

Having guided the Ivory Coast to glory at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Herve Renard is now hoping to end his former side’s defence of the trophy when they face his Morocco team on Tuesday.

The script could not have been better written, with Renard’s Morocco and the Elephants clashing in a winner takes all final Group C showdown in the northern Gabonese town of Oyem, kicking off at 2000 local time (1900 GMT).

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The Atlas Lions have not made it beyond the group stage at the Cup of Nations since reaching the final in 2004 but a 3-1 win against Togo on Friday put them in a position to progress to the last eight.

Now coached by Renard’s fellow Frenchman Michel Dussuyer, the Ivorians have so far drawn with both Togo and DR Congo but the noises coming out of their camp remain optimistic.
“We are calm. It is those outside the squad who are more worried,” insisted Paris Saint-Germain defender Serge Aurier.
“We are here and we are trying to progress from one game to the next. We will do everything to try to qualify.”
At the same time as that game, DR Congo and Togo clash on a shocking pitch in the port city of Port-Gentil.
The task appears to be a simple one for DR Congo, who are top with four points and need only a draw to be certain of progressing to the last eight, although a win will confirm them as group winners.
Third at the 2015 Cup of Nations, the Leopards lost star man Yannick Bolasie to injury barely a month before the tournament began and were then rocked by a row over unpaid bonuses on the eve of the competition.