LOME, Togo -- Tom Saintfiet has been given a two-year contract to coach the Togo national team.
The Belgian had been in charge on a temporary basis after Tchakala Tchanile's contract was not renewed last year following the failure to qualify for this year's African Nations Cup.
Togo Football Federation interim head Antoine Folly says Saintfiet will have former international defender Jean Paul Abolo as his assistant coach.
The 43-year-old Saintfiet has previously coached Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Malawi, and was most recently in charge of South African club Free State Stars.
Togo face Tunisia, Liberia and Djibouti in their qualifying group for the 2017 African Cup. Only the top team qualifies automatically. The African qualifiers begin next month and 2018 World Cup qualifying starts in October.