African Nations Cup hosts Gabon have fired coach Jorge Costa just 70 days before they open the tournament in January following a series of poor results.

The Gabonese federation said on Friday they had removed the Portuguese and replaced him with compatriot Jose Garrido, who had previously been the technical director of the federation.

Gabon, who drew at home with Morocco last month at the start of the World Cup 2018 qualifying group phase and play Mali on Nov. 12, have won just twice this year.

They open the African Nations Cup against Guinea Bissau in Libreville on Jan. 14.

Costa, 45, had been in charge of Gabon for just over two years. Garrido, 56, has coached in the Middle East and played briefly at Benfica in the 1980s.

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