VETERAN French coach Jean Louis Gasset, who was sacked at the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) by Cote d’Ivoire and replaced by his assistant before they went on to win the title on home soil, has died at the age of 72.
Gasset’s former French club Montpellier announced his passing today.
Hosts Cote d’Ivoire were sensationally beaten 4-0 by minnows Equatorial Guinea in their last group game at the 2023 edition in the biggest upset in tournament history, finishing third in their group.
Gasset was dismissed after the shock defeat but the Ivorians earned a reprieve as one of the best third-placed finishers to qualify for the knockout rounds and eventually won the title under Gasset’s assistant Emerse Fae.
One month after returning to France, Gasset was appointed coach at Olympique de Marseille but stayed for only four months.
He went back to Montpellier last season but when they were headed for relegation, he was sacked in April.
Gasset spent most of his playing career at Montpellier, where his father had been one of the club founders.
The cause of death was not given.
With agency report