Herve Renard accepted responsibility for Cote d’Ivoire’s 1-0 home defeat by Cameroon after making a number of changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s international friendly at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe.
The Elephants began the match with a much-changed side as Renard used the fixture to give several new players valuable playing time. A number of established players were left on the bench to allow less experienced members of the squad the opportunity to impress.
“I took risks with the starting XI because it was the only opportunity to try the new players. I accept responsibility for the risks I took; that is part of my job,” said the Cote d’Ivoire manager after the match.
Renard’s approach forms part of his wider work with a 25-player squad. The French coach is using the current international window to assess the different profiles available to him as he continues to refresh the group.