Saudi Arabia’s hopes of a successful World Cup 2022 campaign are in the hands of experienced international manager Herve Renard.
The 53-year-old Frenchman made his name in African football, where he became the first boss to win Africa Cup of Nations with two separate countries: Zambia and the Ivory Coast.
Herve Renard had a low-key playing career, turning out as a defender in his native France for Cannes, Stade de Vallauris and SC Draguignan in the 1980s and 1990s.
It was the latter club that gave him a first shot at management following his retirement in 1999, while he had a brief spell in League Two with Cambridge United in 2004, when he was sacked before Christmas after a summer appointment.
Renard’s first big break in international football came in 2008 when he took the Zambia job. He led the country to the AFCON quarter-finals in 2010, but soon departed to have a brief spell in charge of Angola.
The Frenchman’s second spell in charge of Zambia was more successful, though – he masterminded a historic AFCON victory in 2012, the country’s first ever.
A spell in Ligue 1 with Sochaux ended in relegation, and Renard returned to Africa to take charge of the Ivory Coast, who he led to 2015 AFCON glory – their first crown in 23 years.
Another crack at Ligue 1 didn’t work out when Renard was sacked by Lille after 13 games, and he went on to take the Morocco job and lead them to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where they finished bottom of their group.
Herve Renard took the Saudi Arabia manager's job in July 2019 and oversaw an impressive qualification campaign as his side topped their group, losing just once in 10 games. He will be hoping for greater fortunes than what he experienced four years ago.
Saudi Arabia have been drawn in Group C for World Cup 2022, with Argentina, Poland and Mexico among their opponents.
