Bauza finally gets the boot

– Twice World Cup winners Argentina sacked coach Edgardo Bauza (above) on Monday after a string of poor results in South American qualifying left them struggling to reach the 2018 finals in Russia.

Media reports suggest Sevilla’s Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli, who has never disguised his ambition to take charge of the national team and steered neighbouring Chile to the Copa America title in 2015, will step into the vacancy.

Argentina are fifth in the South American group with four qualifiers remaining.

The top four in the 10-nation group go through to the 2018 finals, while the fifth-placed country qualifies for a playoff against a team from Oceania.

Bauza presided over eight matches, all 2018 World Cup qualifiers, with three wins, two draws and three defeats. If the AFA can successfully prize Sampaoli away from Sevilla at the end of the season, he would have until August 31 to prepare for Argentina’s next qualifier, a tricky trip to play Uruguay in Montevideo. – AFP