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Argentina national team manager Edgardo Bauza has played down speculation he could be sacked, and said "I don't feel as if the board don't support me." Sources told ESPN FC last week that Bauza is set to lose his job following Argentina's poor form in 2018 World Cup qualifying. The Albiceleste are fifth in South American qualifying with four games to play. Only the top four are assured of spots in Russia with the fifth-placed team heading to a continental playoff. "I am confident, calm and strong to continue as coach," Bauza said on Sunday. "There will be a meeting tomorrow [Monday] with AFA members. Whatever happens, it will be reported. For me Monday will be a normal day. I am going to work like I do it every day. "I spoke with [AFA president Claudio] Tapia and we planned the trips for the future, I don't feel as if the board don't support me. "If I get sacked, I'll get up and go home [but] I still think Argentina can be world champions. I still think we will qualify. "I don't run a friends' club." Tapia on Monday told DyN that he will meet with Bauza midweek. "We will meet either on Wednesday or Thursday to analyse the team's performance," Tapia said. "We were not involved in the decision to hire him [Bauza] and we don't know what he is thinking right now. Once we sit down and talk we will be able to evaluate, but there are things we cannot know until we do." Tapia confirmed that Bauza has a "signed contract and contracts must be complied with." He also called the team's current situation "urgent." He denied that AFA is in conversations with Jorge Sampaoli. Argentina's next opponents are Uruguay, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador with only Uruguay ahead of them in the standings. Bauza's cause has not been helped by star man Lionel Messi being handed a four-game suspension by FIFA. Argentina lost the first game of Messi's suspension 2-0 to Bolivia and will be without the Barcelona player for three of their final four games. "We were only given 30 minutes to be able to set up an appeal from FIFA," Bauza added. "I think something is very wrong with Messi's suspension." Sevilla coach Sampaoli says he has not been asked about taking over as manager of Argentina.
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