Ebow Godwin BBC Sport, Lome

Neveu took Guinea to the quarter-finals of the Nations Cup in January

The Togo Football Federation (FTF) has confirmed Frenchman Patrice Neveu as the coach of the Togo national side.

"It is the culmination of months of negotiations," the Togolese Minister for Youth and Sports Richard Kuakou Attipoe said.

"Patrice Neveu will be in charge from January 2007 for the African Cup of Nations and hopefully the next World Cup," the minister added.

The 51-year-old is expected to arrive in Lome early enough to "fine tune" Togo's team for their crucial qualifier for the 2008 African Cup of Nations against Sierra Leone in March.

The Togo national side has been without a permanent coach since German Otto Pfister resigned from his post following the disastrous showing of Togo at the 2006 World Cup.

The Togolese team has been overseen since then by local coach Kodjovi Mawuena.