Over to you Micho

FRANKLYN MALAMBO writes AFTER six months of working on what labour experts may refer to as ‘causal’ terms Chipolopolo coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojević must be a happy man to have finally put pen to paper. On February 3, a certain Serb was unveiled as Chipolopolo coach replacing Belgian trainer Sven Van den Broeck, his arrival […]

Over to you Micho
FRANKLYN MALAMBO writes AFTER six months of working on what labour experts may refer to as ‘causal’ terms Chipolopolo coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojević must be a happy man to have finally put pen to paper. On February 3, a certain Serb was unveiled as Chipolopolo coach replacing Belgian trainer Sven Van den Broeck, his arrival was sandwiched by the ‘politics’ of football which were aided by the impeding FAZ elections. A day after his arrival, it was revealed that the former Zamalek trainer had not yet signed his contract despite having already started working in his new capacity as Chipolopolo gaffer. While many feared that Micho may ditch Zambia before he even takes charge of a first competitive match, Government assured that his contract was being dealt with by the Attorney General’s office.   Every football loving Zambian can now breathe a sigh of relief to learn that Micho’s ties to the country are more than a verbal gentleman’s agreement. Finally, it is done and any fears that lingered of possibly losing the well-travelled Serbian amidst high interest from more fancied suitors have been put to bed. After his predecessor Van den Broeck, Micho becomes third Chipolopolo coach to be handed a contract in five years the other one being Wedson Nyirenda who was initially brought in as an assistant coach but later confirmed head coach. To his credit, the Serbian trainer has been very professional and maybe a touch too kind to stay on and get to work whilst a level of uncertainty over acceptance from the ministry of sports hovered. Now that the marriage has been blessed, we can look forward to how far the fortunes of the Chipolopolo can be revived. With a fair amount of certainty Micho will turn out a blessing to Zambian football should he see out his two year contract. Having watched his only match albeit a friendly against Malawi, one can tell that exciting times lie ahead. The football was easy on the eye, the players visibly enjoyed as it looked less labouring and importantly the innate strengths of the Zambian players were exploited. For the passion he has previously shown, it is safe to conclude that he is eagerly waiting for the return of competitive football on the international scene to show us what he is made of. He has his plate full ranging from the African Nations Championships in Cameroon next year, four matches in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series and 2022 World Cup qualifying matches. The task is no way an easy one, but considering the impact the Serbian has had on his previous teams, it’s only fair to expect similar or even better. Player for player, what he will work with in Zambia is arguably better than what he had in his previous national team Job with the Uganda Cranes who saw a steady rise under his tutelage. With that considered, there will be no room for error. Demands from all stakeholders have always been high regardless of the form patch for Chipolopolo and this time won’t be an exception. There is a real chance of securing the CHAN title given the abundance of ability and capacity in the local players. The target should be bagging gold and anything short may be considered underwhelming. To his advantage, most of the players in the CHAN squad are regulars in the Chipolopolo proper. While winning the CHAN may not soothe all the pain posed by the threat of missing a third straight AFCON, it will be an indicator of moving in the right direction. Chipolopolo may have started their AfCON qualifying race in reverse but it is too early to rule them out as there still are 12 points to play for while a maiden world cup appearance is also possible as the race is yet to start. Between now and then, there is an issue of the corona virus that has to be navigated but without doubt, Micho and company will be hard at work plotting and constantly looking forward to lay an assault on all fronts. The Sun