THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The German soccer federation says it has fired Steffi Jones as coach of the women’s national team following recent poor results.
The Afro-German (45) was sacked following a disappointing showing at the SheBelieves Cup, in which the team failed to win a single game. The 2016 Olympic champions were last in the four-team competition, which was won by the host United States last week.
“Steffi Jones went about her job as head coach with real commitment and dedication,” said DFB president Reinhard Grindel. “I would like to express our sincere thanks on behalf of the whole presidential board. She is and will remain a defining face of women’s football in Germany and I would be delighted if she stayed at the DFB in some other role in the women’s game.”
Under Jones, the six-time defending European champions were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2017 tournament.
The federation says Horst Hrubesch, who coached the men’s team to the Olympic silver medal, will be the interim coach.
Germany plays 2019 World Cup qualifying games next month against the Czech Republic and Slovenia.
She was assistant coach at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics before succeeding Silvia Neid and led the organizing committee when Germany hosted the 2011 World Cup.
Born in Frankfurt to a German mother and an African American father in December 1972, she scored nine goals in 111 caps for the German national team between 1993 and 2007.
Austin Ohaegbu with AP
