Souayah returns as Tunisia coach
Reuters - Wednesday 02 February 2011, 10:33
TUNIS, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Ammar Souayah has been named as
Tunisia's coach for the second time after Faouzi Benzarti
stepped down less than one month after taking over.
Souayah takes charge of the bid to qualify for next year's
African Nations Cup finals, a campaign that is already faltering
with the team having picked up only four points from three
matches.
The new coach, appointed after a meeting of the Tunisia
Football Federation, previously took the north African nation to
the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea.
Predecessor Benzarti agreed at the start of January to take
the job for the second time in just over a year but reversed his
decision in the wake of the revolt that last month toppled Zine
al-Abidine Ben Ali, the country's president.
Benzarti, who was also Tunisia's caretaker coach at the 2010
Nations Cup in Angola, said the task of qualifying for next
year's tournament was too hard and that the contract terms did
not suit him.
In an interview with Radio France International he said he
was pressurised to take the post by Ben Ali.
"The presidency encouraged me to take the job saying I had
to be nationalist and do my best for our people," added
Benzarti.
"But now I feel free like the rest of the Tunisian people
and we can make decisions not only for the common good but for
ourselves too."