Ivory Coast (28/1 Outright) hope to appoint a new coach for the World Cup finals by the middle of next week amid reports Guus Hiddink is the man they want to succeed Vahid Halilhodzic.

The Elephants parted company with the Bosnian after two years after a poor African Cup of Nations campaign saw them knocked out in the quarter-finals in Angola.

Hiddink will start a two-year deal with Turkey in August but is contracted to Russia until the end of June, so there are still some loose ends to tie up if the 63-year-old Dutchman is going to get the nod.

Ivory Coach football association president Jacques Anouma told the BBC: “Guus is one of the people we have contacted about becoming coach.

“Probably in the middle of next week something will be concluded.”