Emerse Faé

Youth career

Born in Nantes, Faé started his youth career with FC Toutes Aides, before moving to Nantes in 1999.

Nantes

Faé's senior career started in 2003 with his home town club, Nantes, who were then in Ligue 1. He made his European debut on 26 July 2003, in a 3–2 loss in the third round of the UEFA Intertoto Cup. In August 2003, he debuted in Ligue 1, in a 0–0 draw against Bordeaux. In the Coupe de la Ligue Final 2004, he started for Nantes, which eventually lost on penalties. He went on to play over 100 league games for them. On 9 May 2007, Nantes were relegated from Ligue 1 and he handed in a transfer request.

Reading

During the summer 2007 transfer window, Faé was strongly linked with a move to Premier League club Reading, and eventually completed a £2.5m move on 2 August 2007, signing a three-year contract, with the option of a fourth. He was given the number 20 shirt. He made his Premier League debut for Reading as a makeshift right midfielder in the 3–0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers on 25 August 2007. Faé contracted malaria while on Africa Cup of Nations duty, and fell ill in the buildup to Reading's match away to Middlesbrough on 1 March 2008. He flew back south for medical treatment and had blood tests on 2 March, which revealed the disease. After failing to break into the Reading first team, Faé refused to play for the reserve team against Tottenham Hotspur reserves along with Ibrahima Sonko. Both were fined two weeks wages and suspended…

As a teenager, Faé played football for the French U17 and U21 teams. He debuted for the French U17 team in an 8–0 win over Liechtenstein on 26 February 2001, and was in the team that won the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Trinidad and Tobago. However, in 2005, following a FIFA rule change concerning national team eligibility, Faé switched allegiances from France to Ivory Coast, the country from which his parents had come. He received his first call up to the Ivory Coast national team for a World Cup qualifier against Benin on 27 March 2005. He made his debut in the 3–0 win. Faé scored his only goal for the Ivory Coast in a 1–1 draw against Switzerland on 27 May 2006, when he fired in a 30-yard shot, two minutes after coming on. Faé went on to play at the 2006 African Cup of Nations, appearing at every match for a total of 452 minutes. He reached the final losing to Egypt in a penalty shootout. Although he had scored during the shootout vs Cameroon, Fae did not participate to the shootout in the final. He was also called up for the country in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, however, he did not play any minute during the tournament under coach Henri Michel. He was called up to the Ivory Coast 23-man squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, and made his first appearance at the tournament in the Elephants' 3–0 victory over Mali on 29 January 2008. He started and was subbed in the semifinal lost to Egypt. He was also selected for the 2010 African Cup of Nations, in which he…

During the 2012–13 season, Faé joined the training center of his former club Nice in order to obtain his football coaching diplomas. After three seasons, he coached their under-17, and then the under-19 in 2018–19. On 8 July 2021, he became the head coach of Clermont reserve team. On 20 May 2022, he became the manager of Ivory Coast U23, and assistant coach of the senior side under Jean-Louis Gasset. On 24 January 2024, Faé was appointed as caretaker of the Ivory Coast starting from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations round of 16, following the dismissal of Gasset. He then led his country to defeat the defending champions Senegal on penalties, Mali after extra-time, and DR Congo in the semi-finals. Eventually, Ivory Coast clinched the title after a 2–1 victory over Nigeria in the final. He was also awarded the Best Coach of the 2023 AFCON tournament. In October 2025, on the final matchday at the African qualifiers, he led Ivory Coast to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking their return to the world stage after 12-year drought. He guided his team to the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Under his leadership, the nation reached the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup for the first time in its history, before being eliminated by Norway with a 2–1 defeat in the round of 32. He left his role as national team manager after his contract expired on 31 July 2026.

Club

International

Scores and results list Ivory Coast's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Faé goal.