Zimpapers Logo

ACCRA .— The Ghana Football Association are on the verge of naming Serbian trainer, Milovan Rajevac as the new coach of the Black Stars.

His first assignments could be next month’s back-to-back World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe.

The GFA sacked Charles Akonnor this week, citing the Black Stars defeat in South Africa, last week.

And, Rajevac, who has coached the team before, is now favourite for the job.

The three-man committee, tasked with selecting a new coach for the Black Stars, have agreed to hand the experienced Serbian the mandate to return to coach the team, after his heroics with the team, at the 2010 World Cup.

With the 72-hour deadline given to the committee, it was decided to narrow the search to Milo for various reasons, including his knowledge of the Ghanaian terrain.

His strong disciplinary record, and on-the-field record, have all come in handy with everything pointing to him as the right man to, at least, salvage the Black Stars World Cup qualifying campaign.

They also need a coach for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon.

With more than 100 CVs received, from coaches across the world seeking to lead the Black Stars, the committee agreed the safest bet was to name someone familiar with the terrain, and who has got the potential of bringing back the glory days.

The only thing left is for the committee to report to the GFA Council who would in turn inform the Sports Ministry before an agreement can be reached with the coach, on his salary, for the next two years.

The experienced tactician will replace CK Akonnor, who was dismissed last Monday, following a 0-1 defeat to South Africa.

The GFA are convinced the former Qatar and Thailand gaffer is the best man to return as head coach, considering his experience, on the continent.

During his first stint as the Black Stars gaffer, he was Ghana’s named African Coach of the Year in 2010, after an impressive outing, at the AFCON and World Cup finals.

The 67-year old made history by leading the Black Stars to the quarter-finals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

A few months earlier, he led Ghana through to the final of AFCON, where Ghana fell to Egypt.

Rajevac coached the Black Stars, between 2008 and 2010.

Prior to the World Cup exploits, he was hailed for leading the injury-ravaged Black Stars to the final of the 2010 AFCON tournament.

The squad of 23 players included seven players who were part of the Ghana team which won the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, a year earlier.

The young team held their experienced opponents, in the final, until the 85th minute, when substitution Mohamed Nagy, also known as Gego, snatched a dramatic winner for the Pharaohs.

In the World Cup, Ghana came close to becoming first African nation, to reach the semi-finals, but they missed a penalty, in the last minute of the quarter-final match, against Uruguay.

Asamoah Gyan’s strike hit the crossbar, in what could have been the match-winner, and the Black Stars went on to lose the subsequent penalty shootout.

Rajevac quit his job, as Ghana coach, two months after the World Cup, taking on a new job at Saudi club Al-Ahli.

He has since coached the Qatari national side, Slovenian club Rudar Velenje and the national team of Algeria, as well as Thailand.

His first battle is likely to be against Norman Mapeza, who took over as the caretaker Warriors coach, this week, after the axing of the clueless Zdravko Logarusic.

The dismissal of the unpopular Croatian coach means he won’t be able to enjoy a romantic return to Ghana, where his African coaching adventure started, in 2009. — Sports Reporter/Ghanasoccernet