Feature: Serbian magic works for Ghana

Published on: 06 January 2011

Goran Stevanovic will become the third Serbian in succession to be named Ghana coach and he looks set to build on the successes chalked by his predecessors.

Dujkovic was appointed Black Stars with a paucity of experience in 2005 but defied odds to secure a World Cup qualification berth and progressed beyond the Group phase.

Exit Duya, enter Milovan Rajevac who went one better by sealing a 2010 Fifa World Cup spot with two matches to spare and then missed out on winning the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Angola.

Milo, as he's affectionately called, shot into international recognition by becoming the only African country to advance to the quarter-final at the mundial in South Africa.

Like the North African countries which prefer French coaches, Ghana might be on course with the appointments of competent Serbian coaches.

"These Eastern Europeans have the discipline and technical know-how to succeed in the country," Former Ghana FA boss Nyaho Tamakloe once said.

Stevanovic will take over a rich stock of youthful players who have the pedigree of pulling the chest nut out of the blazing fire.

At age 44, he becomes one of the youngest coaches to handle the Black Stars and can cope with set-up at his disposal.

Credentials:

He was a member of the Serbia and Montenegro technical team as assistant coach that played at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany and never conceded a goal during the qualifiers.

Stevanovic held the position for three years before moving on to club football as an assistant for Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade between 2007 and 2009.

He has handled big name players like Inter Milan's Dejan Stankovic, Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United, Mateja Kezman just to mention a few.

Stevanovic's ability to read

Achievements:

He won the league title and the Cup double the following year as the head coach but left after only 18 months in charge.

He lacked management's backing to finance the signing three new players to aid their campaign and to leave the club after fans incessantly demanded results.

Language barrier:

Stevanovic speaks four other languages- Greek, Spanish, English and Portuguese- in addition to his native Serbian.

This put him in a strategic position to communicate with club coaches of Ghanaian players across the globe.

?????????? ? ???? ??????????- Welcome to Ghana Stevanonic

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