He takes the post vacated in January by his mentor and compatriot Marcello Lippi, under whom Cannavaro lifted the World Cup in 2006. The 70-year-old Lippi will be a consultant under the new coaching set-up named for next week's China Cup, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) said. Cannavaro's first match in charge of the national side will be next Thursday, when the hosts play Thailand in the China Cup, which also involves Uruguay and Uzbekistan. Cannavaro knows Chinese football well, having coached Tianjin Quanjian in 2016-2017, before taking the Evergrande job in November 2017. Lippi, who quit after the Asian Cup, was widely praised for his spell in charge, despite the exit to Iran and a lack of goals.

Source: Daily Nation March 15, 2019 14:37 UTC