Soccer-Morocco to name new coach next week

RABAT, April 26 (Reuters) - Morocco will announce their new coach next Thursday, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation said on Saturday, but gave no hint as to his identity.

The post has been vacant since Frenchman Henri Michel was fired shortly after a disappointing African Nations Cup finals tournament in Ghana.

In March, Morocco named a shortlist of candidates, all drawn from within the country, and set and a date to announce the new coach but then postponed it without any explanation.

Morocco beat Belgium 4-1 away in a friendly last month with Fathi Jamal standing in as caretaker coach.

The new coach will have just weeks to prepare his side for the start of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. Morocco host Ethiopia on May 31 in their first group match and play Mauritania and Rwanda in June in other group matches. (Reporting by Mark Gleeson in Johannesburg; Editing by Clare Fallon)