Cameroon sack Clemente as coach

Posted Wednesday, October 26, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

Cameroon confirmed the sacking of coach Javier Clemente on Tuesday, ending weeks of speculation over the fate of the Spaniard who failed to qualify the team for next year’s African Nations Cup finals.

“Clemente and his assistants were duly informed that they were relieved of their duties yesterday, Monday October 24, and a new coach will be appointed very soon, maybe within some hours from now as we’ve already forwarded a list of the pre-selections to the sports minister to make the final choice,” Cameroon’s football federation secretary general Sidiki Tombi a Roko told reporters.

“What Cameroon needs is a charismatic coach who will not allow himself to be easily influenced to summon this or that player to the national squad simply because he has been in the team for a number of years or because he is a friend of a senior official of the federation,” he added in a reference to accusations of player power and divisions among senior squad members.

“He should also be one who will accept to live here in Cameroon and accept the salary he will be proposed, no matter the amount,” the secretary general said.

Clemente was appointed in August last year to replace Frenchman Paul Le Guen following the Indomitable Lions’ dismal performance at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

Assisted by former internationals, striker Francois Omam Biyick and goalkeeper Jacques Songo’o, his aim was to lead Cameroon for the 2012 African Nations Cup in neighbouring Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

But Cameroon finished second to Senegal in their qualifying group, the four-times winners missing out on the finals for only the second time in 16 attempts.