JOHANNESBURG: German Otto Pfister has been named as one of five potential candidates to take over as national coach of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Pfister, who has also coached Ghana and Senegal, was previously in charge of the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1987 to 1989 when the country was still known as Zaire.

He was named on a short list of possible candidates released by officials to local media.

Others on the list include Frenchmen Claude Le Roy, a former national coach in Cameroon and Senegal, and Elie Baup, who worked at French Ligue 1 club Girondins Bordeaux. Officials said they were also keen to talk to Serge Deveze, who has considerable experience in Africa, and the Lens coach Joel Muller.

The Democratic Republic of Congo employed Englishman Mick Wadsworth on a short term contract to coach the team at the African Nations Cup finals in Tunisia, where they lost all three of their first round group matches.