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Frenchman Herve Renard has signed a one-year contract to coach Zambia for a second time.

The 42-year-old, who coached the Chipolopolo was named as the replacement for Italian Dario Bonetti.

"FAZ is pleased to announce that it has settled for Mr Herve Renard as new head trainer of our Chipolopolo," Zambia FA (FAZ) spokesman Eric Mwanza said.

"Mr Renard will be offered a one-year contract to compete for the Africa Cup of Nations title."

The Frenchman was chosen ahead of several world-class coaches who applied for the job.

He will lead the Chipolopolo to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

The decision not to extend Bonetti's contract came as a shock as he secured the Chipolopolo's place at January's finals

Renard joined the Chipopolo in 2008 after serving as an assistant to the then Ghana coach Claude Leroy.

But the Frenchman quit the Chipolopolo post last year to coach Angola despite leading Zambia into their first Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final in 14 years.

He guided the Zambians to an third place finish in the maiden African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Ivory Coast in 2009.

Herve coached in France, Vietnam, China and England, before teaming up with Le Roy in Ghana.