Zambia Finally Unveil Serbian Milutin Sredojević As New Coach

Zambia national team’s newly appointed head coach, Serbian Milutin Sredojević, popularly known as Micho has finally been unveiled on Monday 3 February at Barca Academy in Lusaka.

The 50-year-old immediate former Zamalek coach replaces Sven Vandenbroeck who was shown the door last year following Chipolopolo’s failure to qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

Micho arrived in Lusaka on Tuesday last week but his unveiling was delayed after the Ministry of Sports pushed back the presentation as both sides finalised contract details.

He has been offered a two-year contract and his first task will be to prepare the team for back to back 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Botswana in March.

“I’m happy to be in Zambia to coach the Chipolopolo and I’m ready for the challenge to make millions of Zambians happy,” he said in his unveiling.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] “I’ve worked for a long time in Africa and I know a lot about African football. I am ready to serve Chipolopolo.”   [/perfectpullquote]

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) is later expected to reveal Micho’s assistant and goalkeeper trainer as well as a local assistant and goalkeeper coach to understudy the foreign bench.

The former Uganda Cranes coach was one of 12 men named on a shortlist by FAZ on January 3.

The coaches to miss out are Portuguese-born Mozambican Abel Xavier and Belgian Ivan Jacky Minnaert.

A six-man technical committee led by Fidelis Banda who is a former FAZ general secretary was responsible for formulating the shortlist.

Micho is also expected to take Zambia through the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers where the Southern African country was drawn in Group B alongside Tunisia, Mauritania and Equatorial Guinea.