Milovan Rajevac: I'd have been crazy to turn down Algeria

Published on: 29 June 2016
Milovan Rajevac: I'd have been crazy to turn down Algeria
Milovan Rajevac

New Algeria coach Milovan Rajevac said he would have been crazy to turn down the offer to coach the Fennec Foxes and wants to give the team a “global dimension”.

The 62-year-old Serbian was named as Algeria’s coach this past weekend, replacing Frenchman Christian Gourcuff, and has thanked the country’s football federation for appointing him to head up one of Africa’s strongest teams.

"I am very happy and honoured by this trust. I am happy to have taken over the Algerian team,” Rajevac is quoted by Le Buteur.

“This is a very good team that has performed well in the past. I quickly accepted Algeria's proposal because it was interesting. I'm not a crazy coach to refuse such a proposal.”

Rajevac faces some tough targets in his new role, with the Algerian administration stating that the Fennec Foxes must reach at least the semifinals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and secure qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

Given that Algeria have reached the final four of the Nations Cup just once (2010) in nine tournament appearances since winning the trophy in 1990, and they have been drawn in the ‘group of death’ in qualifiers for Russia 2018 (alongside Nigeria, Cameroon and Zambia), it seems the Serbian will have his work cut out for him.

However, he is not scared by the targets he will have to meet: "I know that much is expected of me and that's why they call me that.

“I will do my best to give the best of myself and achieve the objectives set. The Algerian team is a very good team but I will try to give it an international dimension, thanks to the work.

“We have in perspective the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup that we must approach with great determination to achieve the goal.”

Having coached Ghana from 2008 to 2010, Rajevac has experience of African football and will be drawing on that as he takes charge of Algeria.

"I know Africa and I have an idea to succeed my mission as it should. I went to Ghana and this experience will be beneficial to succeed me with the Algerian selection. There is a lot of work with the participation in the next AFCON but also the qualifications of the World Cup,” stated the Serbian.

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