Criciuma hire former Japanese striker as coach

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian first division club Criciuma have sacked manager Caio Junior after just two games of the season and replaced him with former Japan striker Wagner Lopes, officials said on Wednesday.

Brazilian-born Lopes, 45, turned out for Japan in the 1998 World Cup and also played for several Japanese clubs before returning to the country of his birth to hone his managerial skills at several mid-level teams in Sao Paulo state, most recently Botafogo of Ribeirao Preto. Caio Junior was fired after Criciuma lost their first two games of the season against Goias and Palmeiras, the club said on their website.

(Writing by Andrew Downie, editing by Pritha Sarkar)