ABIDJAN, March 7 - Uli Stielike will return as
coach of the Ivory Coast but has only been given a one-month
contract, the country's soccer federation said on Saturday.
The German, who missed the recent African Nations Cup
finals because of the illness and subsequent death of his son,
failed to secure a longer deal after several days of talks with
soccer president Jacques Anouma in Abidjan.
Stielike will return to his post until April 15 and will be
in charge for he March 26 international against Tunisia in
Paris.
"The proposition his contract be extended to April 15 was
accepted with good heart," the Ivorian soccer federation said
in a statement
The 53-year-old former Real Madrid midfielder's previous
deal ended last month after the Nations Cup finals.
Stielike missed the contest after his 23-year-old son
Michael fell ill on the eve of the tournament in Ghana. He died
on Feb. 1 from a lung disorder.
The Ivory Coast reached the Nations Cup semi-finals under
Stielike's replacement, Frenchman Gerard Gili, who has since
returned to his previous role as coach of the country's Olympic
team.
Stielike, a former Swiss national team coach, first took
charge of the Ivorians in October 2006 and has won seven of his
11 matches in charge.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson, editing by Martin Petty)