Senegal have fired the coach of its national football team, Amara Traore, along with his technical staff, following the team's poor performances at the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), the national news agency reported.

"It was a failure and it is the coach's responsibility," said Augustin Senghor, president of the Senegalese Football Federation, reported the Senegalese Press Agency.

"Decisions had to be taken and the executive committee has decided to end its collaboration with the coach and his backup staff."

The national team were pre-tournament favourites in the first round of the competition in Equatorial Guinea, but returned home at the bottom of their group after failing to secure a single point.

Traore insisted he would not resign having achieved his initial goal of qualifying the team for the CAN.

However, before leaving for Equatorial Guinea he signed a contract saying he had to get the team to the semi-finals.

The Federation has asked Olympic selection coaches Karim Sega Diouf and Aliou Cisse to take over in the interim as Senegal's Lions head off to play a friendly match against South Africa on February 29.