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Page last updated at 11:46 GMT, Wednesday, 2 February 2011

Tunisian revolution allows coach to quit

Former Tunisia coach Faouzi Benzarti
Benzarti claims he was pressurised into taking the job by former ruler Ben Ali

Ammar Souayah has been named as Tunisia's coach for the second time after Faouzi Benzarti stepped down less than a month after taking over.

Benzarti agreed in early January to take the job for the second time in just over a year.

But he reversed his decision in the wake of the revolt that toppled former president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

In an interview with Radio France International, he said he was pressurised to take the job 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."

Benzarti, Tunisia's caretaker coach at the 2010 Nations Cup, said the task of qualifying for next year's finals was too hard and that the contract terms did not suit him.

Souayah takes charge of the challenging bid to qualify for next year's African Nations Cup finals, 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 Africans to the 2002 World Cup finals in Asia.



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see also
Tunisia protests 'left 200 dead'
01 Feb 11 |  Africa
Tunisia appoint Benzarti as coach
04 Jan 11 |  African
Marchand shocked at Tunisia sack
16 Dec 10 |  African
African football
15 Dec 10 |  African
Benzarti sacked as Esperance boss
30 Nov 10 |  African


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