WC 2010: Paul Le Guen quits

  1. Posted on Friday 25 June 2010 - 10:49
    Walter
    Image of Walter
    Walter Nana Wilson, AfricaNews reporter in Buea, Cameroon
    Cameroon coach Paul Le Guen has relinquished his position after a lackluster performance of his side at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Cameroon, highly rated to inspire the African side failed to win any of their Group E matched. They lost to Japan, Denmark and slipped 2-1 to Netherlands on Thursday.
    Paul Le Guen
    "My contract is coming up, and it was clear all along I would stop now," the Frenchman said. "Maybe I didn't succeed in unifying the team and bringing it together."

    Le Guen's appointment as Cameroon coach in July 2009 prompted celebrations in Yaounde and he was widely credited with turning around a World Cup qualification campaign which was in danger of going off the rails.

    But his tactics in the opening game - a 1-0 defeat to Japan - were criticised by his own players, who were not happy with his decision to field star striker Samuel Eto'o on the right wing and leave Arsenal midfielder Alex Song on the bench.

    A 2-1 defeat to Denmark sealed their exit from the competition, and although Le Guen said afterwards that he did not plan to resign, a third straight defeat seems to have changed his mind.

    "Naturally my mood is one of defeat, I know I have lost three matches in this tournament," he added in a BBC report.

    "We leave the World Cup with lots of regrets. We know that we were carrying lots of hopes from everyone in Cameroon but we weren't able to realize them."

    Le Guen would not be drawn on reports linking him with the vacant Australia manager's job. Australian media have said the 46-year-old was the front-runner to succeed Pim Verbeek, who himself has stepped down after the Socceroos were eliminated.

    "I am at the end of this mission," Le Guen stated. "It was planned to be this way. I am going to think about the future and we will see."

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