Alain Giresse signs two-year deal to coach SenegalBy TAMBA JEAN-MATTHEW | Wednesday, January 9   2013 at  15:32

Frenchman Alain Giresse has been selected as coach of Senegal's national football team, signing a two year contract Wednesday.

The chairman of Senegal's football federation Augustin Senghor told a press conference in Dakar that Giresse’s candidacy received the highest votes from the federation’s executives.

He said the new coach is expected to qualify the team for the 2014 Fifa world cup in Brazil and for the 2015 African Cup of Nations competition.

Although the coach’s salary was not immediately disclosed, it is believed that he will earn more than the $22,000 per month that his predecessor earned plus other benefits.

Giresse replaces local coach Joseph Marie Koto who held the post over the last two years.

Koto started off well by qualifying the team to the last Cup of Nations competition where it was ejected during the first round, and went on a poor run after.

Demba Ba, the Senegal and Chelsea star, said the onus was now on Giresse to find the team’s lost glory.

Giresse’s first test will be against Chile in a friendly later this month.

The Teranga Lions, as the team is popularly known, will clash with Angola in March in their qualification matches for the 2015 World Cup finals.

Giresse was among three other candidates including Aliou Cissé, the former Teranga Lion’s captain whose candidacy was highly supported by both the incumbent players and their older colleagues.

For over three years, the team has been managed by local coaches after poor performances under another French coach, Guy Stephane.

Following Giresse’s signature, the local media fielded several reactions from the local public which almost unanimously appealed to Giresse to restore the fans' lost happiness and pride.