Argentina sacked manager Edgardo Bauza on Tuesday after just eight games in charge with the team lying outside the automatic qualifying spots for the 2018 World Cup.
The two-time world champions are at fifth in the South American qualifying table with only the top four teams assured of a berth in Russia for the 2018 WC. The fifth-placed team will face a team from Oceania in a play-off.
“We’ve told Bauza he’s ceased to be the national team coach,” Argentina Football Association president Claudio Tapia was quoted as saying by BBC. “The national team is playing badly and everyone knows it.”
The 59-year-old was appointed in August, and had a modest track record of three wins, two draws and three defeats. Bauza’s final match in charge was against Argentina’s bogey team, Bolivia, against whom they lost 0-2, and had skipper Lionel Messi slapped with a four-match ban for verbally abusing an official.
Argentina have four games left in the competition. Their next match is against third-placed Uruguay.
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