S Korean football coach sacked

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S Korean football coach sacked

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South Korea have sacked its football coach Cho Kwang-rae.

08 December,2011 10:26 am

South Korea have sacked head soccer coach Cho Kwang-rae in the wake of their shock loss to lowly Lebanon in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.The South Korean Football Association (KFA) had asked for Chos resignation following a barrage of criticism after last months 2-1 away defeat to the then 146th FIFA-ranked side.We are now in the process of dismissing the coach. All the procedures will be finished within this month while we are looking for better-suited candidates for the 2014 World Cup both at home and abroad, a KFA spokesman said.The 57-year-old Cho, who was appointed in July 2010, led the team to third place at the Asian Cup earlier this year and won 80 caps for South Korea during his playing career.South Korea had been heavily favoured to advance to the fourth round of qualifying with a win over Lebanon, a side they trounced 6-0 at home in September. Despite the defeat, the east Asian side sits atop Group B on goal difference with three wins, one loss and a draw, and need only a point at home to 100th-ranked Kuwait in their final match in February to progress.This past Monday, I met with senior KFA executives and we concluded that we couldnt reach the World Cup the way the team was playing, Yonhap news agency quoted KFA technical committee chief Hwangbo Kwan as saying at a press conference on Thursday.We looked into the teams performance and Chos managing of the squad. Then I sat down with Cho last night and told him he should leave.Cho slammed the KFA for the manner of his dismissal, saying the governing body had not followed proper protocols. If they werent happy with the way I ran the national team, then the technical committee could have discussed it and explained it to me, Cho told Yonhap news agency.If they decide, after talking things over, that they cant accept my style of coaching, then I can absolutely accept that. But it should never be like this.South Korea are bidding for their eighth straight World Cup appearance and ninth overall.Former Iran coach and South Korea assistant Afshin Ghotbi is one of the front runners to replace Cho according to local media.