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06-25-2010, 07:32 AM
Paul Le Guen has quit as Cameroon coach following their dismal performance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The Indomitable Lions lost 2-1 to Netherlands on Thursday to cap a miserable Group E campaign which also featured defeats to Japan and Denmark.
"My contract is coming up, and it was clear all along I would stop now," said former Lyon and Rangers boss Le Guen, whose men finished bottom of the group.
"Maybe I didn't succeed in unifying the team and bringing it together."
Le Guen's appointment as Cameroon coach in July 2009 prompted celebrations in Yaounde and he was widely credited with turning around a World Cup qualification campaign which was in danger of going off the rails.
But his tactics in the opening game - a 1-0 defeat to Japan - were criticised by his own players, who were not happy with his decision to field star striker Samuel Eto'o on the right wing and leave Arsenal midfielder Alex Song on the bench.
A 2-1 defeat to Denmark sealed their exit from the competition, and although Le Guen said afterwards that he did not plan to resign, a third straight defeat seems to have changed his mind.
"Naturally my mood is one of defeat, I know I have lost three matches in this tournament," he added.
"We leave the World Cup with lots of regrets. We know that we were carrying lots of hopes from everyone in Cameroon but we weren't able to realise them."
Le Guen would not be drawn on reports linking him with the vacant Australia manager's job.
Australian media have said the 46-year-old was the front-runner to succeed Pim Verbeek, who himself has stepped down after the Socceroos were eliminated.
"I am at the end of this mission," Le Guen stated. "It was planned to be this way. I am going to think about the future and we will see."
BBC SPORT
The Indomitable Lions lost 2-1 to Netherlands on Thursday to cap a miserable Group E campaign which also featured defeats to Japan and Denmark.
"My contract is coming up, and it was clear all along I would stop now," said former Lyon and Rangers boss Le Guen, whose men finished bottom of the group.
"Maybe I didn't succeed in unifying the team and bringing it together."
Le Guen's appointment as Cameroon coach in July 2009 prompted celebrations in Yaounde and he was widely credited with turning around a World Cup qualification campaign which was in danger of going off the rails.
But his tactics in the opening game - a 1-0 defeat to Japan - were criticised by his own players, who were not happy with his decision to field star striker Samuel Eto'o on the right wing and leave Arsenal midfielder Alex Song on the bench.
A 2-1 defeat to Denmark sealed their exit from the competition, and although Le Guen said afterwards that he did not plan to resign, a third straight defeat seems to have changed his mind.
"Naturally my mood is one of defeat, I know I have lost three matches in this tournament," he added.
"We leave the World Cup with lots of regrets. We know that we were carrying lots of hopes from everyone in Cameroon but we weren't able to realise them."
Le Guen would not be drawn on reports linking him with the vacant Australia manager's job.
Australian media have said the 46-year-old was the front-runner to succeed Pim Verbeek, who himself has stepped down after the Socceroos were eliminated.
"I am at the end of this mission," Le Guen stated. "It was planned to be this way. I am going to think about the future and we will see."
BBC SPORT