Coaching change for Tunisia

Ammar Souayah will take charge of the Tunisia national team for the second time following the sudden departure of Faouzi Benzarti.

Souayah, 53, is a former Tunisia international who served as national coach at the 2002 World Cup.

He will take charge of Tunisia’s qualification campaign to reach the 2012 African Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

The team are second in Group K with seven points from five matches played.

The appointment of Souayah followed Benzarti’s decision to quit the position just a month into his second spell as manager in the last year.

Also a former Tunisia international, the 61-year-old Benzarti led the team as caretaker at the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola.

He was tempted back in January, but quit again following the toppling of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali as President of Tunisia.

Benzarti told Radio France international that he left because the task of qualifying for the Cup of Nations was too hard, his contract terms were not suitable and that he had been pressured into returning by Ben Ali.

“The presidency encouraged me to take the job saying I had to be nationalist and do my best for our people,” Benzarti said.

“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.”