Hector Cuper has been appointed the new coach of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country’s football federation said on Friday.
It is a second appointment in Africa for the 65-year-old former Argentina international defender, who has also had an extensive coaching career at top European clubs.
He coached Egypt at the last World Cup finals in Russia but left after they were the first country eliminated from the tournament.
The 65-year-old Cuper, who has also had previous national team jobs with Georgia and Uzbekistan, has been tasked with qualifying DR Congo for the next World Cup. The group phase of qualifiers start in September and conclude next March.
Cuper took Valencia to two Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001 and also coached at Inter Milan and Parma in Serie A.
DR Congo sacked Christian Nsengi Biembe in March after the giant central African country failed to qualify for the next Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon next January.