When it comes to African football, Milutin Sredojevic is one of the experienced mentors who've seen it all – the rosy, the chaotic and the downright tragic of the game in this God-forsaken continent. The Serbian has overseen at least six big clubs in different countries, as well as four national teams, including Libya, his current employers since October. In South Africa, the 54-year-old is best remembered for his two spells with Orlando Pirates in the 2006/07 season and between 2017 and 2019. Having been at the recent Africa Cup of Nations, Soccer Laduma's Masebe Qina settled on no better a candidate to do a debrief of the tournament with. In this interview, the man fondly known as "Micho" reveals why he is proud of Bafana Bafana, talks about his progress so far in North Africa, keeping in contact with some of his former charges at the Buccaneers, and more…
Masebe Qina: Coach, first things first, what did you make of the 2023 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations?
Milutin Sredojevic: I have 23 years coaching in Africa and I can say I am a practical witness of everything that has happened in African football over those years. I can say I am a witness of what has happened in the Africa Cup of Nations since 2002 and when I measure each competition and going into the deeper details, I can say that this Afcon has been the most competitive to date. Why am I saying this? I am saying it because it has provided so much upside down and dramatic situations. Some of the things that occurred showed that we have a very competitive Africa Cup of Nations, and in the same moment the (AFC) Asian Cup, and when you compare the two tournaments, there is a difference. There have been so many matches that we shall not forget because they showed us a masterpiece of how unpredictable the game of football can be. A classic example of what I am talking about is the local team, Ivory Coast, which won the first match and were over the moon, only to lose the second and third matches respectively and were on the brink of being eliminated from the tournament. But they managed to stay in the competition due to the fact that Morocco beat Zambia, while Mozambique played a draw with Ghana. It simply speaks volumes about the nature of the game of football and after that, they were slowly crawling and crawling, and they produced the best performance in the final to win the Africa Cup of Nations.
MQ: Amazing hey!
MS: With so many stories of happiness and sadness, I could say that this Africa Cup of Nations was, for me, the University of Life and Football because we learnt so much from it. Football showed that it is not the game of logic but it is more about being a game of sense, although facts are not playing in anyone's favour. Practically, man-management played a very important role and to learn from watching directly live from Ivory Coast and watching television which direction the game is going in Africa, it is very promising also from the rest of the world. People have been very excited and if Jose Mourinho expressed himself in the way he did after watching the tournament, then what else do the rest of us have to talk about? I didn't only watch the tournament as a supporter or only as a coach, I had insiders in all 24 teams that participated. I watched the games and I looked at the players and remembered them from when they started the game. So, all these aspects put me in a position in which I really enjoyed each and every moment of the tournament.
MQ: What did you think of Bafana Bafana?
MS: Having in mind that I was a witness of how all those players in Bafana Bafana grew up under the watchful eyes of South African coaches, I want to give all those coaches credit because every single player had the background where their parents were their coaches and established them. Their respective clubs worked very hard to provide extreme competitiveness in the team. Special credit goes to Mamelodi Sundowns as a team with the most players, and also my Orlando Pirates had participants. When I am looking at everything, I can say I am extremely delighted that after 24 years away from the semi-finals and third place since 2000, Bafana Bafana have finally managed to get to where they are supposed to be. They have reached their rightful standards and, in the process, have made 60 million South Africans proud and happy of their team. It was not easy, and they started badly with a loss against Mali, but then they got used to the environment of the competition, gained confidence and saw that they could build up and come up. Regretfully, they did not reach the final and eventually win it, but they have reached the standards and I give them absolute credit for that.
MQ: We agree, it is something to work on going forward.
MS: Credit to the players for the performances and results. Also, credit to coach Hugo Broos and his technical team. They worked very hard to serve the team technically in the best way possible. Credit goes to SAFA for being behind the team, but mostly, the spiritual owners of the team, all South Africans that have been behind the team, credit to them as well. Their support has been recognised because the boys showed the fighting spirit through the blink of their eyes, facial expressions and body language. Every single South African has reason to be proud of the performance. However, now this is history and they need to go to the World Cup qualifiers and go to the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for Morocco 2025. With the confidence they got now, they need to keep it up because in football, you are as good as your next challenge. Good luck to Bafana Bafana, and my sincere and wholehearted support throughout the qualification campaign.
MQ: What do you think of the future of South African football with Broos in charge?
MS: With the highest degree of respect regarding your question, I need to tell you openly that I'm the last person who is supposed to speak about the future of Hugo Broos in South African football and Bafana Bafana. I have the highest degree of respect for him personally and his coaching achievements and qualities. He has proved himself in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 in Gabon against all odds and now he has finished in third place. He has proved that the success of every coach is measured through results and if we were to judge him on the results of his two Afcon (tournaments), it speaks volumes about him. The South African Football Association and the country's football fraternity are owners of the team, and together with Hugo Broos, they need to look forward because there isn't enough time, and the team needs to keep it up in the upcoming World Cup and Afcon qualifiers. Now that the team has reached the standards, they need to keep it there.
MQ: Let's change the subject now, coach. You were appointed as the coach of Libya in October. How has it been?
MS: As a coach that has served African football diligently for the last 23 years and coaching in six very big clubs where tension, stress and pressure is on the highest level and meanwhile winning 19 trophies and being in top four of African interclub competitions several times and as a coach that has coached four national teams, including now with Libya since October, we have started a positive sport revolution in the country that has gone through a lot of problems, including unrest and more others. We are trying to rebuild the brand of the national team and to revive the pride of the nation. In that regard, things are going very well and between October and January, we have played nine matches and we have won six of those and drawn three. We are having four points in the World Cup qualifiers, and we are looking forward to building the team, but the most important thing is that we have rejuvenated the team. The average age of our national team players is 22 years and that is simply unbelievable in comparison to what it was. Having in mind that Libya has won only three times in the last two years, but we have now won six times in three months, it is a way of building a culture and the mentality of winning that the country is hungry and thirsty about. We want to be a uniting factor in Libya. Libya is a North African country that has so much in terms of economical ways if you think about the oil and whatever, and people here have gone through so many aspects and we want to be the agents of change. We want to be the messengers of good news and happiness and, in that regard, we are working very hard to revive the pride of Libya national team.
MQ: In which of the African countries you've been did you enjoy your stay the most?
MS: Like I said, I worked for six very big clubs, and they are SC Villa of Uganda, Saint George of Ethiopia, Orlando Pirates of South Africa, Young Africans of Tanzania, Al-Hilal of Sudan and Zamalek of Egypt. Each of the clubs is a giant and an institution and every single country they are based in has impacted me deeply. When I combine the supporters of the four national teams and those of the clubs that I have coached, they amount to over 300 million people. So, in respect of the 300 million people that are supporting the big clubs, I can only say that wherever I have been, I felt like fish in the water. I was serving the people and wasn't just coaching, and I really enjoyed each moment in my 23 years in my Africa.
MQ: While in South Africa, did you learn any of the local languages?
MS: Boss, believe me or not, I'm still in contact with many players. The biggest compliment that you can get as a coach is when most people that you have worked with are still in contact with you, and that speaks volumes about you and your human qualities. Between being a good coach and good human being, I am very happy that I have remained on good terms with the players, coaches and friends in my South African football family. Just recently and before he moved to Sundowns, Thembinkosi "Nyoso" Lorch contacted me. We have been in touch. At Pirates, as big as the club is, we had an enormous amount of great environment, spirit and chemistry. Let me tell you something, I can go to the moon, but I believe that all the people that I met in South African football will remain (in my heart) forever, and especially your languages. Believe it or not, I am still in contact with former Pirates captain Lucky Lekgwathi on a daily basis, as well as many other players. I always remember saying, "Eish, bafethu, hayi maan wena (gents, no, man)" … and all the other words.
MQ: You worked with Rhulani Mokwena at Bucs and he is now Downs coach. What do you think of the progress he has made?
MS: I'm very happy that Rhulani is doing very well with Sundowns. I'm happy that so many members of our technical team are doing very well at Raja Casablanca. So, it means that we had a very special environment with high spirits and enjoyed a good relationship and chemistry. That also put me in a position to learn. I am happy that I remained on good terms with the people I worked with, and I don't know if they remember me as a good coach, but I know that they remember me as a good human being like as always with kind heart, gratitude, appreciation, respect, love and contribution wholeheartedly in trying and giving good service in the best way possible.
MQ: Poetic and philosophical as always, coach Micho. We've enjoyed talking to you and hope to bump into you in Mzansi one of these days.
MS: You are welcome.
