RABAT (AFP) - Former France coach Roger Lemerre is to take over from compatriot Henri Michel as coach of Morocco, the Moroccan Football Federation announced on Tuesday.

He will take over from July 1 with his main task being to qualify Morocco for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

The widely-travelled Lemerre was in charge of Morocco's north African neighbours Tunisia at the African Nations Cup finals in Ghana at the start of the year but he was sacked when his side lost in the quarter-finals.

He led France to the Euro 2000 title and had been in charge of the Tunisian team since 2002, winning the African Nations Cup in 2004.

Michel was also sacked after the African Nations Cup having failed to get his side past the first round.