Gerets new Ivory Coast coach: reports

Former Belgian defender Eric Gerets is set to take over as coach of World Cup qualifiers Ivory Coast, local newspapers reported Friday.

Officials from the Ivory Coast Football Federation and an agent for Gerets met in Paris on Wednesday to discuss the terms of a contract, the reports said.

Ivory Coast fired their current coach, the Bosnian former Yugoslav international Vahid Halilhodzic, after their nightmare at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola last month.

The pre-tournament favourites were eliminated 3-2 by Algeria in the quarter-finals.

The federation declined to confirm whether an approach had been made to Gerets, 55, who quit as coach of French side Marseille in May last year to join Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia.

Gerets won 86 caps with Belgium and helped them to the 1986 World Cup semi-finals. He also won the then European Cup in 1988 with PSV Eindhoven.

Ivory Coast line up with Brazil, North Korea and Portugal in Group G of the June 11 to July 11 World Cup, with their opening game against the Portuguese on June 14.