Volker Finke axed from Cameroon job

Two weeks before the start of their 2018 World Cup qualification campaign, Cameroon has fired head coach German Volker Finke, the country's football federation announced on Friday. Alexandre Belinga has been placed in temporary charge of the side, with former Cameroon international Bonaventure Djonkep acting as assistant.

Finke's contract with the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) expired several weeks ago and will not be renewed after a number of disappointments over the past 18 months.

A #link:www.fecafoot-officiel.com:statement on Fecafoot's website# that was signed by president Tombi A Roko Sidiki who took over the reins of the federation last month, did not give reasons for the decision but said it had been made in consultation with the country's new sports minister, Bidoung Mpkatt.

67-year-old Finke was made Cameroon head coach in May of 2013 and led 'The Indomitable Lions' to an abysmal World Cup campaign in Brazil last year where they lost all three matches and were criticized for petulant behavior that included an on-field spat between teammates Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Benjamin Moukandjo. Cameroon were also knocked out in the first round of the African Nations Cup finals in Equatorial Guinea earlier this year, but had made a 100 percent start to the qualification campaign for the 2017 tournament after two games.

jh/ (Reuters)