ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia have appointed former Zimbabwe and Namibia manager Tom Saintfiet as coach in place of Briton Iffy Onuora, who was sacked last month on “disciplinary grounds”.
The 38-year old Belgian, whose contract details were not disclosed by the Ethiopian Football Federation on Thursday, will take charge of the Horn of Africa nation when they meet Nigeria at home next month in an African Cup of Nations qualifier.
His predecessor Onuora was sacked just 10 months into his two-year contract.
Officials said they had taken into consideration Onuora’s sending-off against Madagascar in October, which led to him being banned for a game in Nigeria in March, and unflattering comments attributed to him by British tabloid newspapers.
Ethiopia, nicknamed the Walya Antelopes, are third in Nations Cup Group B, three points behind Nigeria and four behind surprise leaders Guinea.