Jo Bonfrere

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Johannes ("Jo") Bonfrere or Jo Bonfrere (born June 15, 1946 in Eijsden, Limburg) is a Dutch soccer coach, and a former striker, who played for MVV Maastricht (Holland) and KV Beerschot (Belgium).

[edit] Coaching career

Bonfrere led Nigeria national football team to the 1996 Summer Olympics gold medal in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the Coach of Ahly Football club in Egypt in 2002/2003 where he lost the league at the very last match with a difference of two points. His contract was terminated after that.

He was hired to coach South Korea national football team in June 2004 to replace Humberto Coelho, who was forced to quit after a humiliating draw with the Maldives national football team in a FIFA World Cup qualification. In 2005, South Korea qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, but a string of disappointing losses thereafter fueled fan and media ire against Bonfrere. He resigned on August 23 of that year under pressure after a poor showing in the East Asian Football Federation Championship and a World Cup qualifier loss against Saudi Arabia national football team. The Korea Football Association then hired Dick Advocaat as its third Dutch coach, and Advocaat angered his predecessor by saying he will be another Guus Hiddink, not Bonfrere.^{[citation needed]}