MONTEVIDEO, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez is recovering well after undergoing a hernia operation, the South American country's football association (AUF) said on Tuesday.

Tabarez, who will be 71 next month, had surgery to repair a condition in which part of the intestine protrudes through the abdomen near the navel.

"He has made a good recovery and will return to normal activity within days," the AUF said in a statement.

Tabarez, who has been in charge of Uruguay since 2006, signed a four-year contract extension after leading the Celeste to the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Uruguay's next major tournament will be the Copa America in Brazil, which begins on June 14. The two-time World Cup winners have been drawn in Group C alongside Ecuador, Japan and Chile.