Govt to pay Micho salary arrears

SUN SPORTS writes FOLLOWING the signing of the contract for Zambia national soccer team coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic last week, government has affirmed that he will be paid for the five months of service already undertaken. The Serbian coach arrived in the country in February this year following a lengthy recruitment process that saw the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) pitch a US$25,000 salary against government’s offer of US$10,000 per month. Speaking during the signing ceremony, Minister of Youth and Sports Emmanuel Mulenga said the contract will be backdated to the time the coach was unveiled by FAZ. The Minister underscored the government’s expectations of the Serb with his technical bench. “It is our hope that you will use the privilege of the resumption of football under the new normal of living with the (coronavirus) pandemic to monitor the capabilities of players in the local league and professional players from around the world to assemble strong teams which will deliver to the expectations of this nation at CHAN and qualify to the AFCON as well as the World Cup,” he said. Micho re-emphasized his seven step technical master plan that has put qualification to the Qatar 2022 at the apex of his targets. He said that with an already well-grounded youth structure that had seen Zambia dominate the region at Under 17, U20 and local players he would build a strong and competitive Chipolopolo. “We will be having a set of friendly matches in front of us and we want to go step by step to inject the confidence inside our players to make them aware that every single step they do for the nation and the sacrifice they give in every match will be a step to build the confidence to the CHAN in Cameroon, the Africa Cup of Nations and on the wings of confidence to reach the World Cup,” said the man affectionately dubbed the Serbian Wolf. “If we succeed, it will be all of us. If we fail it will be myself but with the way things have been done before and the way we are doing things in the same spirit to retain Zambian football where it belongs; from the government, FAZ, technical people all over the country and players that are also happy of success, because they want to repeat the success that has been achieved and outmatch it by going to the World Cup for the first time is something that will drive us to the right direction.” His technical bench comprises his first assistant DushanStojanovic, goalkeeper trainer Miroslav Stojnic and local assistant Oswald Mutapa. Micho has signed a two-year deal that will see him earn US$25,000 per month, to be paid by Government and FAZ. The Sun