Noel "Chita" Sanvicente was named as the new coach of Venezuela on Thursday with the objective of reaching the 2018 World Cup finals.

Venezuela is the only South American nation not to have played in a World Cup.

Sanvicente, 39, won seven Venezuelan league titles with Caracas and Zamora.

His first matches in charge will be friendlies against South Korea on September 5 and Japan, four days later.