/ 18 September 2013

Krol to coach Tunisia in World Cup playoffs

Ruud Krol will be coaching Tunisia in their World Cup playoff games.
Ruud Krol will be coaching Tunisia in their World Cup playoff games. (Gallo)

Tunisia appointed Dutchman Ruud Krol as coach for the World Cup playoffs against Cameroon starting next month after formally accepting the resignation of Nabil Maaloul, who quit before the team was reinstated to the decisive qualifying ties.

Krol will take charge for two months and combine the national team role with his job as coach of Tunisian club champions CS Sfaxien. The position of the 64-year-old Krol, a former Dutch international who also has coached Egypt and clubs in Egypt and South Africa, will be re-negotiated if Tunisia qualifies for the World Cup in Brazil, the Tunisia Football Federation (FTF) said.

Forfeiting the game
​The FTF also accepted Maaloul's resignation at its board meeting after he quit on Tuesday and criticized players following a 2-0 home loss to Cape Verde Islands on Sept. 7 in the final round of group qualifiers. 

Tunisia was reinstated to Africa's 10-team playoffs by Fifa when Cape Verde was found to have fielded an ineligible player in that win and forfeited the game and its place in the playoffs.

Tunisia qualified for three successive World Cups from 1998-2006 before missing the tournament in South Africa in 2010.

It hosts four-time African champion Cameroon in the first leg of their playoff next month for one of Africa's five places in Brazil. The second leg in Cameroon is in November. –- Sapa-AP