BOGOTA, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Reinaldo Rueda has been sacked as Colombia manager after the team's failure to qualify for this year's FIFA World Cup, the local football federation said on Monday.

The announcement came less than a month after Colombia finished the South American zone qualifying campaign in sixth place, one point shy of an intercontinental playoff berth.

"We express our most sincere wishes for future success to Rueda and his backroom staff and our appreciation for their dedication and hard work," read a statement on the federation's official website.

It added that the 65-year-old's successor would be named "in the near future".

Rueda led Colombia to seven wins, 10 draws and five losses after replacing Portuguese manager Carlos Queiroz in January last year.