…Southampton sack Hughes as manager***
Sierra Leone has been disqualified from the 2019 African Nations Cup (AFCON) qualifiers, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on its website on Monday.
The continental football governing body said its Executive Committee, at its meeting on Friday in Accra, took the decision after reviewing the case of Sierra Leone in the qualifiers.
“Sierra Leone is disqualified from the qualifiers and all its matches are annulled,’’ a report on the CAF website said.
It went on to say that the development would now result in a group of three teams in Group F of the qualifiers.
The absence of the country will place Kenya at the summit of the group’s table with seven points, with Ghana following closely on six and Ethiopia with a single point.
FIFA had in November suspended Sierra Leone from international football because of government interference in the running of the country’s football association.
This was after the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) barred two leading Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) officials from the governing body’s offices.
“The suspension will be lifted once the SLFA and its recognised leadership confirmed to FIFA that the SLFA administration, premises, accounts and communication channels are under their control once again,” FIFA had said in a statement.
In the meantime, English Premier League clubside Southampton on Monday sacked Mark Hughes as manager, with the club mired in the relegation zone after only one victory this season.
Hughes arrived at his former team in March on a short-term contract and helped the south coast club avoid relegation last season by securing a 17th place finish.
The Welshman was handed a three-year deal in May, but has struggled to improve the team’s form this campaign.
“Southampton Football Club can today confirm it has parted company with First Team Manager Mark Hughes,” they said in a statement.
Southampton are 18th in the standings, having lost seven out of their 14 matches and squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Manchester United on Saturday.
Their only victory this season came against Crystal Palace in September.
First team assistant coach Kelvin Davis will lead the team for Wednesday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium.
Southampton said they had already begun the search for Hughes’ successor.
