No new deal for Burkina Faso boss Duarte
Reuters - Sunday 19 February 2012, 14:27
Paulo Duarte will
not have his contract renewed as Burkina Faso coach when it
expires at the end of next month, making him the second coaching
casualty of the recent Africa Cup of Nations.
The Portuguese coach, whose side lost all three matches at
the tournament co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, follows
Amara Traore of Senegal on the list of coaches to pay a price
for failure at the Nations Cup.
Burkina Faso Football federation president Zembende Theodore
Sawadogo told a weekend radio interview he could see no reason
to continue with the 42-year-old, who had been Burkina Faso
coach for almost four years and also took the side to the
2010 Nations Cup finals in Angola.
Duarte proved a controversial figure during his tenure,
accused of persuading African players he knew from his time
coaching in Portugal to accept offers of Burkina Faso
nationality to strengthen his side.
A case against the Cameroon defender Herve Zengue, who
played for Burkina Faso in the qualifiers, almost cost the
country their place at the Nations Cup.
Duarte also incurred widespread derision last June when he
tried to persuade 35-yaer-old Brazil-born goalkeeper Nilson of
Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal to play for Burkina Faso. It was
an idea that was eventually dropped.
Burkina Faso will have to have a replacement in place before
June when they begin World Cup qualifying with matches against
Congo and Gabon.