Aguirre the right choice to lead, says Guardado

Mexico midfielder and playmaker Andres Guardado is confident that Javier Aguirre is the perfect man for the national-team managerial job. Although not playing much under deposed boss Sven-Goran Eriksson due to injury, Guardado said Aguirre will take the team to South Africa.

Now that Guardado is match-fit, he hopes to be in Aguirre's plans to move forward. When asked what he thought about Aguirre's hiring, he said it was a step on the right direction.

"I though it was great," Guardado told the Mexican media. "He is a very capable manager who has been in the same situation with El Tri in the past. It was more complicated then; he turned things around and took us to the World Cup. He is the right man for the job and I hope he can take us to the big stage one more time."

Mexico again chose to go with a former national-team coach to take over the squad. Aguirre isn't the only coach to lead the team on two occasions. Bora Milutinovic also coached El Tri twice between 1983 and 1986. Manuel Lapuente also served two stints as Tri coach. But Guardado said you have to know Mexican football before you can coach there.

"It is always good to have a coach from your own country, like Aguirre, who always says things how they are," he noted. "The important thing isn't where you're from, it's just having knowledge of the Mexican teams like [2006 World Cup coach] Ricardo Lavolpe."

Mexico is currently fourth in the World Cup qualifying. If it were to finish there, it would have to face the fifth-place team from South America in a two-leg playoff in order to go to the 2010 World Cup South Africa. But Guardado feels confident Mexico will not fail to qualify.

"We still have a lot of options," he said. "There are a lot of games left and a majority at home, where were really strong. We have to try to win away from home because that's where things get complicated. I think by just winning one away game we will be set to qualify."

Mexico's next game is away at El Salvador. But this time the difference may be Aguirre.