Tunisia have sacked coach Umberto Coelho after their failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) announced on Monday.
Faouzi Benzarti was named as Coelho’s replacement with the 59-year-old Tunisian taking charge of the country’s African Nations Cup campaign in January.
Benzarti is currently coach of Tunis club Esperance and he will combine both club and national duties until his contract with Esperance runs out next June.
Coelho took over from Roger Lemerre, the Frenchman who was himself sacked for lack of results, in 2008. His sacking comes after Tunisia’s 1-0 loss to Mozambique eight days ago which shut the World Cup door for the north African country.
Tunisia are in Group D in the January 10-31 African Nations Cup with Cameroon, Gabon and Zambia.
