-Panama coach Alexandre Guimaraes was fired on Tuesday,

[assrancid]

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) -Panama coach Alexandre Guimaraes was fired on Tuesday, two days after the country's elimination in World Cup qualifying.

Panama's football federation sent a letter to Guimaraes informing him of his dismissal. The letter released on Tuesday cited "our elimination en route to South Africa 2010.''

Panama lost 3-1 to El Salvador on Sunday and was beaten 3-2 on aggregate in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifier.

Guimaraes, a Costa Rican, was criticized for changing the lineup in the second half. Panama was leading 1-0 at that point.

Guimaraes coached Costa Rica at the last two World Cups.
Panama hired him in November 2006 in the hopes of reaching the World Cup for the first time.

On Monday, Guimaraes said he did what he thought was right, but that he expected to be dismissed.

"We are disconcerted over how the situation turned out, over the loss, and logically none of us are happy,'' he said.

[Andre]

PANAMA CITY, July 8 (Reuters) - Panama have complained to FIFA about the treatment they received during a 3-1 World Cup qualifying defeat in El Salvador last month, saying the players were the target of racism and bags of urine.

In a letter to world soccer’s governing body, the Panamanian federation also said their goalkeeper was struck by a bottle and that El Salvador’s captain threw a Panamanian emblem to the ground after the pre-match formalities.

El Salvador, trailing 1-0 from the first leg and 1-0 down at halftime in the return, scored three times in the last 20 minutes to win the preliminary tie 3-2 on aggregate and qualify for the group stage of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament.

Panama complained that on the eve of the game, they arrived for practise at the Cuscutlan stadium and were forced to get changed on the team bus after finding the gates locked.

While they were on the bus, local fans banged against the sides of the vehicle and hurled racist insults at the players, said the letter published on the Panamanian federation’s Web site (www.marearoja.com).

“From the start to the finish of the game, our players were constantly insulted by the public who, in addition to the racist insults, threw bottles, bags of water and bags of urine, amid the indifference of the police, who should have given protection,” it said.

The letter added that goalkeeper Jaime Penedo was hit by a bottle as he prepared to take a goal kick but said the referee failed to stop the game

[Sam]

Panama name Stempel as new coach.

July 8 (Reuters) - Panama have named locally-based Briton Gary Stempel as their new national team coach. Stempel replaces Alexandre Guimaraes, who was fired after Panama’s dramatic exit from 2010 World Cup qualifiers in June.

President of the Panamanian Football Federation Ariel Alvarado said Stempel would take charge of the team for the Central American Cup of Nations, which Panama will host in January, although the two parties had not yet agreed terms.

Panama appeared set to reach the group stage of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers until they conceded three goals in the second half of a second leg tie away to El Salvador to lose 3-1 and 3-2 on aggregate.

Stempel, who has spent much of his life in Britain, is based in Panama where he manages national champions San Francisco FC as well as the under-23 squad.

He is likely to face great pressure to deliver from Panamanian fans, who are turning to soccer in greater numbers away from the traditional national sport of baseball.

 (Reporting by Andrew Beatty; Editing by Peter Rutherford).