Pekerman departs as Colombia coach

Bogota : Colombia football coach Jose Pekerman has announced he does not wish to renew his contract and wished the national team the best ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

"I'm sad not to be continuing; look at the guys and see what they achieved. The team drives them. To see Colombia so high in the FIFA national team rankings was so exciting. We achieved our goals," Pekerman said at a press conference on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Pekerman coached the Colombian national team for six years, leading them to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup.

However, a poor showing from Colombia during this year's World Cup in Russia led to questions over the continuation of his tenure.

He said the Colombian national press, which had reported rumours of his potential return to manage Argentina's national team, had told lies about his exit.