Ramirez to kickoff Mexico 2010 World Cup campaign

April 25, 2008

Interim coach Jesus Ramirez will lead the Mexican National Team during the start of the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) announced on Thursday.

Ramirez, who led the Mexico under-17 team to glory at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup, has been in charge on a caretaker basis since the departure of Hugo Sanchez last month.

“Jesus Ramirez will coach the team for the warm-up games against Argentina and Peru (in June), as well as the matches in the second preliminary round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers for South Africa 2010,” said the FMF in a statement.

Mexico face Belize over two legs in the next leg of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, as they bid to earn a place at the FIFA Finals in South Africa in 2010. It should be a formality for a team who reached the second round in 2006, only to be eliminated by Germany.

The two favourites to take over - Atletico Madrid coach Javier Aguirre and Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari - are both unavailable for the start of the campaign - which has led to Ramirez taking tempoary charge.

Ramirez’s first game in charge was a friendly against China last week. Mexico won 1-0.

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