One of the standout coaches of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has revealed he is honoured to be compared to two-time winner Herve Renard, who was recently linked with a shock return to Ivory Coast.
Mauritania national team boss Amir Abdou etched his name in the continent's history books when he guided his team to their first-ever qualification for the AFCON's round of 16.
The Lions of Chinguetti finished third in Group D behind Angola and Burkina Faso, clinching a spot in the knockouts as one of the competition's best third-placed teams of the group stage.
Their only win so far came against 2019 champions Algeria, condemning the Desert Warriors to a shock tournament exit after they finished bottom of the group.
Mauritania will now face Cape Verde in the round of 16 on Monday, 29 January.
With Abdou having masterminded an unforgettable display so far for the 105th-ranked team in the world, as per FIFA's rankings, his stock has risen, drawing the attention of the entire continent.
This piece of success also marks the second time the coach has guided a minnow to the competition's last 16, having previously done the improbable by leading the Comoros Islands to the knockout stage of the previous edition in Cameroon.
He now joins a distinguished list of coaches who have taken charge of two different teams at AFCONs, including Hugo Broos (Cameroon and Bafana Bafana) and Renard, who won the title with Zambia and Ivory Coast.
French-born Abdou has now revealed he is honoured to receive comparisons to coaches like Renard.
"It is very difficult to realise that, when you are at work and have goals, you focus on the work that you want to carry out, and you do not see things that way," Abdou said, according to Yallakora.
"When people tell me that I am with great coaches like Claude Leroy and Herve Renard, it is an honour for me, but you have to keep your feet on the ground and keep working until you achieve more."
Renard, meanwhile, has confirmed that he will not be taking charge of the Elephants on loan from the France women's national team to replace the recently departed Jean-Louis Gasset for the rest of the tournament.
"The negotiations did not finish favourably, it's because it shouldn't have been," the 55-year-old told broadcaster Canal Plus. "I'd have loved it but fate chose otherwise."
