Frenchman Hervé Renard, the current head coach of the Saudi Arabian national football team, arrived in the Kingdom of Morocco in response to an official invitation to attend the opening ceremony of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. This visit confirms the deep sporting ties between the French coach and Morocco, and adds a touch of loyalty to a history full of achievements that “The Fox” has written on the African continent.
An emotional return to the stronghold of the "Atlas Lions"
Hervé Renard's visit is more than just a protocolary gesture for a world-class coach; it's an emotional return to the country where he experienced one of his most successful coaching periods. Renard led the Moroccan national team from 2016 to 2019, successfully restoring the prestige of the "Atlas Lions." Perhaps his most notable achievement, still etched in the memories of Moroccan fans, is guiding the team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia after a 20-year absence, delivering a performance that earned global respect despite the challenging group they faced.
Africa's top football expert
Hervé Renard's presence at the opening of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is particularly significant given his historical stature in this tournament. The French coach holds a unique record as the only manager to have won the continental title with two different national teams; he achieved this feat with Zambia in 2012 and then repeated the feat with Ivory Coast in 2015. Therefore, his participation in the edition being held in Morocco is a tribute to the career of a coach whom many consider the foremost expert on the intricacies of African football.
Morocco 2025... An exceptional event
This visit comes at a time when the Kingdom of Morocco is experiencing a tremendous sporting boom, as it prepares to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as a true test run for its joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The presence of prominent sports figures, including the Saudi national team coach, at the opening ceremony reflects the significant international interest in this edition, which observers expect to be the best-organized in the continent's history, given the advanced infrastructure and world-class stadiums that Morocco has prepared for the event.
Between “Green” and African Memories
Although Hervé Renard's current focus is on his project with the Saudi national team, "Al-Akhdar" (The Green), and the Asian Cup qualifiers, his presence at major international tournaments remains an integral part of his identity as a world-class coach keen to follow the development of football across different continents. Renard enjoys a warm welcome in Moroccan circles, where he is consistently regarded as one of the architects of positive change in the history of modern Moroccan football. This makes his presence on the VIP platform at the tournament's opening ceremony a highly symbolic and mutually respectful gesture.
