Lusaka, Oct 8 (IANS) Zambian national football team’s head coach Herve Renard has quit his job after being offered a coaching job by French team FC Sochaux, the country’s football governing body said Monday.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), in a statement posted on its Facebook page, said it has relieved the Frenchman from his job as national coach.
“FAZ and Herve have consulted and it has been agreed not to stand in his way. It is a compliment for a coach working in Africa to be head-hunted by a top European club. It makes us proud to be able to take ownership of Herve’s rise as a successful international coach,” reported Xinhua citing the soccer governing body.
The FAZ said Renard’s assistant Patrice Beaumelle will take charge of the national team.
The new coach will be in charge when Zambia plays Brazil in a friendly game Oct 15 in Beijing, China.
Last week, the Frenchman told France media that he was among coaches that attended interviews at the French side and expressed enthusiasm at the prospect of coaching a top European team.
Renard was last year given a three-year contract to run until June 2014. He guided Zambia to its maiden Africa Cup of Nations title last year.
But his bid to be the first coach to take the southern African nation for its maiden World Cup appearance in Brazil next year failed after coming second in Group D which saw Ghana book a place in the final qualifications.
He was appointed the coach in 2010 and led the team to a quarter-final berth of the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. He later dumped the team and opted to coach Angola. The Frenchman also guided the team to grabbing the regional, Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Senior Challenge Cup this year.