Michel walks out on Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea coach Henri Michel has resigned from his post less than four weeks before the African Cup of Nations.

Michel walked out on the tournament co-hosts citing poor conditions of work as the reason, leaving Equatorial Guinea scrambling to find a replacement in time for the start of the tournament on January 21.

“I have stopped my work as the Nzalang Nacional coach a second time because the conditions demanded were not met,” Michel told France Football.

“There were no more political issues like in the past but technical and professional problems surrounding the team.”

Equatorial Guinea sports minister Ruslan Nsue Obiang called the Frenchman’s action “sabotage” and named Malabo-based Panthers FC manager Casto Nopo as interim coach.

Michel, the former Morocco, Cameroon and Ivory Coast coach, succeeded Paraguayan Carlos Lobo Diarte in January and was given the objective to prepare the Central African nation for next year’s showpiece.

Equatorial Guinea open the tournament against Libya on January 21 in Bata.