Michel is taking charge of his fourth African nation

Frenchman Henri Michel has been confirmed as the new coach of the Ivory Coast.

The Elephants will be the fourth African nation the 56-year-old has taken charge of in the last decade.

The former captain and coach of France arrived in Abidjan on Monday to take up his new post, replacing compatriot Robert Nouzaret who resigned last month.

"It's terrific to take charge of a team of this calibre," Michel told the French sports daily L'Equipe.

"They've never qualified for the World Cup and that's our aim."

Michel quit his job with Morocco's Raja Casablanca at the weekend to take up the new post.

Raja win Caf Cup

The Frenchman had steered the Moroccan side to victory in the last-ever Caf Cup in November.

Michel has previously taken charge of three African sides.

The Ivorian Football Federation will be hoping that the experience he gained at two World Cup finals with African sides in the nineties will help the Elephants qualify for their maiden World Cup.

The French coach steered Cameroon through the 1994 World Cup finals in America, and then led Morocco's Atlas Lions to France '98.

Michel, who coached France to the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup, was also once in charge of Tunisia, leading the Carthage Eagles at the 2002 Nations Cup finals in Mali.

Robert Nouzaret retired as Ivory Coast boss in February to take charge of Montpellier in France's Ligue 1.