Paris: The Cameroon Football Federation sacked coach Clarence Seedorf and assistant Patrick Kluivert yesterday, the pair paying the price for the defending champions’ last 16 exit at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Cameroon crashed out 3-2 to Nigeria last Saturday, an exit the federation described as “premature” in its statement.
Former Dutch international Seedorf won just three of nine competitive games after taking over the Indomitable Lions alongside Kluivert last August. The federation are now hunting for a manager to prepare the national side for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations which they are hosting.
With a haul of four Champions League wins, five national titles and a host of individuals awards, Seedorf, a former AC Milan and Real Madrid midfielder enjoyed a decorated career on the pitch. But his transition into management has come with a steep learning curve.
Failures with Milan and Chinese club Shenzhen, relegation with Deportivo La Coruna and early elimination with Cameroon have clouded his reputation.
Earlier yesterday, Guinea coach Paul Put was also sacked following the team’s similar last 16 exit. Belgian Put, who was appointed in March 2018, saw Guinea beaten 3-0 by finalists Algeria in the first knockout round having scraped through as one of four third-place teams in the group stage.
“The coach is dismissed. We’re going to talk with him about the terms of his departure. Feguifoot has ended the partnership with Paul Put,” said Antonio Souare, the head of Guinea’s football federation.
Souare added a return of three wins, four draws and five defeats in 12 matches played under Put was “not satisfactory”.
Put, 63, led Burkina Faso to the Cup of Nations final in 2013 before losing 1-0 to Nigeria.
The future of two-time Cup of Nations winner Herve Renard with Morocco also appears heading to an end with local media trumpeting his departure only for the coach to leave his immediate future unclear with an opaque statement.
“At my request, I have met (Fouzi) Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation,” said Renard.
“We have taken stock of the competition that has just ended for us. We also talked about the future, I gave him my opinion. We have agreed not to make any public statement.”
Morocco had been one of the pre-tournament favourites but their elimination on post-match penalties by tiny Benin in the last 16 was a major shock for the tournament and embarrassment for the north Africans.
Frenchman Renard, 50, won the title in 2012 with Zambia and in 2015 with Ivory Coast, and had a good chance again of an unprecedented third title with three different countries.
Coaches of hosts Egypt, Tanzania and Uganda have also left their posts in the wake of disappointing returns at the finals.
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