James Copnall BBC Sport, Abidjan

Stielike coached the national team of Switzerland

Uli Stielike is the new coach of the Ivory Coast, a decision which has come as a great surprise to most football fans in the West African country.

The 52-year-old German is expected to sign a two-year renewable contract in Abidjan on Thursday.

Stielike was a national team defender in his heyday and also played for Borussia Monchengladbach, Neuchatel Xamax and Real Madrid.

He won a sack-full of honours, including the Uefa Cup and Spanish and German league titles.

Stielike's coaching career has been less high-profile, but has taken in spells as boss of Switzerland and a number of German national youth teams.

The president of the Ivory Coast Football federation (Fif) Jacques Anouma said that Stielike, who was not the first choice, was still what Ivorian football was looking for.

"I talked to more than 20 coaches, and they all said the same thing about the Elephants," Anouma explained.

"They said we did not have good goalkeepers, and they said we had a problem of concentration and defensive rigour.

"When we were looking for a coach we favoured German rigour, and I told him to bring that to the team."

Stielike also has the advantage of speaking French, and he was used by the German federation to supervise Ivory Coast's matches during the World Cup, so he is well aware of his new team's strengths and weaknesses.

His first match in charge will be the 8 October for the Nations Cup qualifier against Gabon.

Fittingly for a team that this year finished second in the Nations Cup and impressed at the World Cup, Anouma is already setting the bar high.

"We have given him two objectives: take us to another level, and qualify for the 2008 Nations Cup in neighbouring Ghana.

"After all, if you can't get to the Nations Cup, why should we keep you on to get us to the World Cup in 2010?

"And we expect a good performance in Ghana too!"

The Fif president's words show just how high Ivorian expectations are right now.

Stielike, who would not be in a job if Jurgen Kohler hadn't backed out at the last moment, can be considered a surprising choice.

He is not a big name, of the sort that might have been attracted to the Elephants' talent and the Fif's solid organisation.