World Cup Betting: Managerial changes ahead of South Africa

/ Ben Lyttleton / 23 February 2010 / Leave a comment

Vahid Halilhodzic chats to Kolo Toure during the African Cup Of Nations where the Ivory Coast were surprisingly knocked out at the quarter-final stage

The fact that Nigeria coach Shaibu Amodu's days are numbered and that he's unlikely to lead his team at the Finals is one of the worst-kept secrets in football but here Ben Lyttleton looks at other teams who could change management ahead of the World Cup.

"Drogba, unsurprisingly, reportedly recommended Guus Hiddink but the Dutchman has just signed a deal with Turkey and insisted he would not coach in South Africa out of respect for the Russia team he coached who fell at the play-off stage."

Shaibu Amodu turned up to work at the Nigerian football federation in Abuja last week insisting that he was still the head coach of the national team. He had, after all, achieved his bosses' minimum target of reaching the African Cup of Nations semi-finals but the turgid manner of their performances left his job extremely precarious.

The truth is, he is on his way out and the only thing delaying the naming of his successor is the slowness of the federation's interview process. They have spoken to Bruno Metsu, Lars Lagerback and Ratomir Djukovic, are still hoping to speak to Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni, while Sven-Goran Eriksson and Glenn Hoddle were linked to the post over the weekend.

The appointment of their coach will surely affect Nigeria's chances in South Africa and therefore their price to qualify from Group B, currently ([2.1]). Nigeria is not the only team likely to change their coach in the run-up to the tournament and although years of planning and hard work have gone into the qualification process, some federations are prepared to make a late change to satisfy high-profile players in their squad or to boost the global interest in their team.

Two teams in Group G fall into these categories: in the first one is the Ivory Coast, whose boss Vahid Halilhodzic is under huge pressure after the team's disappointing quarter-final exit to Algeria at the African Cup of Nations. Didier Drogba's excuse that the team wanted to quit the tournament after the Togo bus shooting in Cabinda has not been enough to save Halilhodzic from criticism, and FA president Victor Anouma is understood to have discussed possible replacements with his players.

Drogba, unsurprisingly, reportedly recommended Guus Hiddink but the Dutchman has just signed a deal with Turkey and insisted he would not coach in South Africa out of respect for the Russia team he coached who fell at the play-off stage. If Anouma were to listen to other players, though, there would be a surprising appointment: that of former ASEC Mimosas coach and long-time friend of Arsene Wenger, Jean-Marc Guillou.

"If I take over the team, we will play good football and I won't need three months to sort that out," Guillou said last week. "Right now, collectively, there is nothing, but I am sure that they have the potential to be one of the best sides in June. I believe I am just as good as the best coaches and when I say the best I'm not talking about the little ones."

Guillou, a former France international, spent seven years at ASEC Mimosas, where current squad members the Toure brothers, Emmanuel Eboue, Salomon Kalou, Didier Zokora, Aruna Dindane, Romaric and Bakari Kone all played under him. "I know that Anouma will see the players to listen to their advice, and they will say that I am best equipped to take over the team," he added. Metsu, a hero in African coaching circles ever since he coached Senegal to the last 16 in 2002, is also in the mix, while Eric Gerets is another name on Anouma's list.

Ivory Coast are ([1.95]) to qualify from the group: their final game is against North Korea, another team who may not start the World Cup with the coach that helped qualify them, Kim Jong Hun.

Hiddink, Eriksson and Philippe Troussier, Japan coach at 2002, have been linked to the job as Kim has been criticised for his unorthodox tactics and bizarre habit of making positional substitutions just before half-time.

His future could depend on how North Korea fares at the AFC Challenge Cup currently taking place in Sri Lanka. After a 1-1 draw with Turkmenistan in the opening game, his prospects looked bleak, but on Sunday they beat India 3-0 to reach the semi-finals in the Sri Lanka tournament. Winning the final will surely keep him in charge but anything less and Kim could be watching the World Cup from afar.

A late coaching change is clearly a risk, and despite the usual short-term boost a new appointment can bring, the squads of Nigeria and North Korea may be too limited for a decisive impact in South Africa. But the Ivory Coast is a different matter: Halilhodzic appears to have lost his players and if he stays in charge, his team have to be worth laying. A new man in charge, though, could turn things round and make life very difficult for Portugal, ([1.76]) to qualify, and Brazil, ([1.16]).