Jose quits as Angola coach

Posted Sunday, February 14, 2010 by AFP

LUANDA (AFP) - Highly successful Portuguese Manuel Jose quit as coach of Angola Saturday after leading the hosts to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals last month.

The 63-year-old with the midas touch cited unspecified personal reasons for his decision to cut short a one-year contract with the Palancas Negras (Black Antelopes) signed last June.

He suffered personal tragedy on the day Angola were beaten by eventual runners-up Ghana in the quarter-finals when his father died back in Portugal.

Despite going out to Ghana, Jose won widespread approval for the way he transformed a struggling side and captain Carlos 'Kali' Alonso said the players wanted him to carry on.

Angola drew with Mali after leading by four goals with 11 minutes left in their opening Nations Cup group fixture and defeated Malawi and drew with Algeria to reach the quarter-finals.

Jose took up his first national team post after two spells with Cairo club Al-Ahly, who won the African Champions League four times under his guidance and were runners-up once.

Angolan football federation general secretary Augusto Silva told national news agency ANGOP that Zeca Amaral, an assistant to Jose, will take temporary charge.