Bermuda Football Association (BFA) president Larry Mussenden admitted yesterday he had "no knowledge" that beleagured national coach Keith Tucker was sacked by his former employers at Howard University.

It an article published on January 23, 2007 in the Washington Post, it was disclosed the former Somerset Trojan, who did not return calls yesterday, had been 'dumped' as head coach of the Bison after 26 years on the job.

"After careful review and consideration, we have decided to progress to a different direction with our soccer programme," Howard athletic director Dwight Datcher was quoted as saying in the article.

The BFA hired Tucker on an "interim basis" last fall after predecessor Kenny Thompson stood down.

Yet when asked was he ever aware of the nature of Tucker's termination at Howard or was his firing ever taken into consideration before he joined forces with the BFA, president Mussenden replied: "I have no knowledge of how Tucker's employment at Howard was completed."

Tucker received the boot after the Bison managed only 17 wins in a five-year period, including a 3-13-1 overall record and an 0-6 mark in the Atlantic Soccer Conference in 2006.

Back in 1988 Tucker was named NCAA coach of the year after guiding a squad comprised mostly of unknown African, Caribbean and US players to the NCAA Championship game.

However, the national coach has come under heavy criticism since Bermuda's disappointing World Cup qualifying first -leg draw with Cayman Islands on home soil last month, with some going as far as to call for Tucker to resign.

"We need to get rid of Keith Tucker and fast because the players don't have any confidence in the coach whatsoever," a national team source told The Royal Gazette, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. "The players have absolutely no confidence in the coach and don't agree with his 4-5-1 formation."

Tucker's tenure at the senior national level has been anything but smooth thus far with the former Bison head coach exchanging words with top marksman Aljame Zuill and then forced to sack assistant Jack Castle after the two men arrived at a difference of opinion over team tactics.

"The short time I was with Keith things were very challenging as a support team member for this disorganised coach," Castle said.

Tucker hit back, arguing: "I can't have a guy coaching a system he doesn't agree with" before declaring "I am still the right man for the job" following his team's two losses to Major League Soccer (MLS) side New England Revolution at the National Sports Centre (NSC) last month.

"When I arrived things were in a bit of disarray and I want things to just settle down," Tucker said. "I was asked to do this job and I chose to take up the challenge.

"The negative comments are part and parcel of the job and I expect that. When the team loses, the coach is always the first guy people look to blame and I've been a coach for 25 years so it's nothing new to me.

"It's impossible to please everybody, but I've got a plan and I'm trying to make it work."

In recent weeks the former Bison coach has surrounded himself with experienced coaches like predecessor Kenny Thompson and top US coach Keith Tabatznik who have been recruited to assist with the Island's 2010 World Cup preparations on a short-term basis.