Renard's revolution of France women's team comes under scrutiny against Canada

Four days after France overwhelmed a limited Colombia side 5-2 in his first match as head coach, Hervé Renard's renovation of the women's team will undergo its first big test in a clash against Canada at the Stade Marie-Marvingt in Le Mans.

Hervé Renard, who has taken over as head coach of France's women's team, led the Zambian and Ivorian men's teams to the Africa Cup of Nations trophy. © AFP / PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA

The visitors lie one place below the hosts in sixth in the world rankings and are among a clutch of squads conisidered as contenders for the World Cup this summer in Australia and New Zealand.

"This is a team that won the Olympic title in Japan," said Renard.

"They claimed that tournament with impressive solidity. They are a rigorous, well-organised team that moves forward. quickly and we will have to expect players of a high level.

"But we too have quality players so it will be a big game. It's up to us to prepare well for it and to negotiate these kinds of matches well."

Renard took up his new role on 30 March. The 54-year-old Frenchman replaced Corinne Diacre who was sacked following a revolt of senior players who disagreed with her methods and management of players.

Return

Eugénie Le Sommer - discarded for two years by Diacre - returned to the squad and celebrated her recall with a brace as France came from 2-0 down to ultimately romp past Colombia in Clermont-Ferrand.

"The World Cup is the most important thing," added Renard.

"These warm-up matches are exactly that. But they are games that must be played in the best possible way. We won't win any trophies in these matches. We're preparing for the competition. We are in the work phase."

Renard - who has never coached a women's team - forged his reputation as a flinty taskmaster with a flare for the touchy-feely.

He took an unheralded Zambia team to the Africa Cup of Nations title in Gabon in 2012 and repeated the feat with Cote d'Ivoire three years later to become the only coach to lead two different squads to the continent's most prestigious national team tournament.

World Cup

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, his Saudi Arabia side created the first shock of the event when they came from behind to beat Argentina in the opening match of the group stages.

King Salman, the Saudi monarch, decreed a national holiday to fete the victory as well as free entry to theme parks.

But the team could not build on the exploit and lost their subsequent games to Poland and Mexico to slump out of the tournament while Argentina recovered their dignity to surge to a third World Cup crown.

"It's important to feel that we're going in the same direction," added Renard. "Football is a competitive sport, there are bound to be players who play less but everyone must be considered in the same way.

"It's important to always bring people together, to bring people along. That's how I see my job as a coach, especially with the national team."

France open their World Cup campaign against Jamaica on 23 July in Sydney. They play their second Group F game six days later against Brazil in Brisbane and finish the pool stages on 2 August against Panama.