Soccer-Argentine Zubeldia agrees to coach ailing Santos

* Gignac goal secures last-four berth for Tigres * Tigres to meet America in Apertura semi-finals (Releads on new Santos coach) MEXICO CITY, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Young Argentine coach Luis Zubeldia has agreed terms with Santos Laguna to take charge of the outgoing Mexican champions next month. Santos, who won last season's Clausura championship, finished three from bottom of the Apertura with 17 points from as many matches and have missed out on the eight-team title playoffs which are at the quarter-final stage. "The club has reached an agreement with Luis Fernando Zubeldia for him to join us as coach for the 2016 Clausura championship and once he has finished his job as trainer of the LDU Quito team in the Ecuadorean league," Santos said in a statement. The 34-year-old Zubeldia will replace Spaniard Francisco Ayestaran, who quit last week having himself taken over this season from title-winning Portuguese coach Pedro Caixinha. Former Argentina under-20 midfielder Zubeldia, who has coached Lanus and Racing Club in his homeland and Ecuador's Barcelona SC, had his playing career cut short by a knee injury at 23 after 57 matches for Lanus and became their coach at 27 in 2008. In the quarter-finals, France striker Andre-Pierre Gignac scored a fine goal from outside the box to give UANL Tigres a 1-0 win at Chiapas and secure their place in the last four. Tigres went through 3-1 on aggregate after Saturday's win, having beaten Chiapas 2-1 at home in Wednesday's first leg. Former Olympique Marseille striker Gignac took a layoff from former Brazil striker Rafael Sobis and volleyed a rising shot into the top far corner in the 21st minute for his 12th goal in 16 league matches. Tigres, runners-up in South America's Libertadores Cup in August, will meet record 12-times champions America in the semi-finals. The Eagles lost 2-1 at Leon on Saturday but went through 5-3 on aggregate following a 4-1 first-leg win at the Azteca. In Sunday's quarter-finals, Veracruz visit UNAM Pumas in Mexico City with a 1-0 lead from Thursday's first leg while Toluca are at home to Puebla with the sides level at 2-2. (Reporting by Carlos Calvo; Writing by Rex Gowar; Editing by Clare Fallon)