Football: king Mohammed receives morocco's new coach

King Mohammed VI on Tuesday received in Marrakesh the new coach of Morocco's national football team, Henrie Kasperzack, a Polish-born French national, who was hired by the Moroccan Football Federation for a four-year contract. Kasperzack, 54, was chosen from a list of several renowned coaches, who applied for the post. He will be paid a $ 20,000 monthly salary.

Kasperzack replaces French Henri Michel, who resigned following Morocco's poor performance in the African Cup of Nations, held Jan.-Feb in Ghana and Nigeria. Morocco was ousted at the first round of the cup.

The new coach, Henri Kasperzack, starts working with the Moroccan national football team this March to prepare the team for its first 2002 World Cup preliminary heats match against Gambia next April.

Kasperzack, who had previously coached Tunisia and Cote d'Ivoire, told the press his main task will be to ensure Morocco's qualification to the World Cup 2002 and the 2002 African Cup of Nations.