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Sven Goran Eriksson has been appointed as the new coach of Ivory Coast to lead them at this summer's World Cup.

An ill-fated spell at Notts County as director of football came to a premature end in February, with Eriksson wasting little time in getting back in the game.

The former England coach was known to be on a shortlist that is said to have included Mark Hughes, the man who replaced him at Manchester City, Guus Hiddink and one-time Real Madrid incumbent Bernd Schuster.

However, after positive discussions with Ivory Coast officials, it has now been confirmed the experienced tactician is to guide them in South Africa.

A statement released by the FIF said: "Aware of the great expectations of our population who have taken a keen interest in the matter, the executive committee focused its choice on Mr Sven-Goran Eriksson.

"The Swede has been, among others, coach of England and Mexico. He is an experienced technician who has been proven.

"His mission is to lead our team during this World Cup, and to ensure that there is an honourable participation in a competition reserved for the top 32 football nations in the world, and it obviously will be difficult.

"Therefore, the executive committee of the FIF appeals to the sacred union between the 'Elephants' and their coach."

A poor showing at the African Cup of Nations, where Ivory Coast failed to go beyond the quarter-finals, saw Vahid Halilhodzic pay the price with his job last month.

Swede Eriksson is well versed in international football having taken England to two World Cup quarter-finals, although earlier in the week he conceded he thought the Ivory Coast Football Federation were eager to appoint a French speaker.

Ivory Coast have been drawn in a World Cup group with Brazil, Portugal and North Korea.

The FIF have not decided on the future leadership of the team beyond the World Cup, with Eriksson's appointment likely to be a short-term measur

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Keep Calm and follow Jesus Navas

He will do them.

got to hand it to sven, if he fell into a sewer he'd come out smelling of roses with a bundle of £50s in one hand and Miss Sweden in the other

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'Fabio, the round thing there is the ball'

Aguero

All of them?

Wouldn't put it passed him tbf.

Yeh, he's lived a charmed life owing mainly to his charm I think, his best spell was with England from memory. He has so much work to do to regain credit as a decent/good football manager, Ivory Coast has some great quality among it, so now is the time.

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KYPU

Probably prefers all the trophy's he has won tbf.

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A double-bed and a stalwart lover, for sure
These are the riches of the poor

I support the Ivory Coast now.

Trophies schmophies. He was shagging his arse off here in UK.

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KYPU