The Sun Sets on Micho's Chipolopolo Rule

The Sun Sets on Micho's Chipolopolo Rule
Milutin Sredojevic, coach of Zambia

by Staff Reporter

Saturday Jul 17, 2021. 19:33

The curtain has come down on Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic seventeen month reign as Chipolopolo Zambia coach.


The Football Association of Zambia announced on Saturday afternoon that they have parted ways with Micho by mutual consent.


Micho was appointed Chipolopolo coach on February 3, 2020.


“FAZ can confirm that it has reached a mutual separation agreement with its senior Men’s National Team coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic. After a meeting between FAZ and the coach, it was agreed that in the interest of progress for both parties they had to separate,” said FAZ General Secretary Adrian Kashala in a statement


Micho was Zambia’s fourth substantive coach in the last five years after Wedson Nyirenda, Sven Vandenbroeck and Aggrey Chiyangi.


His departure comes barely 72 hours after Chipolopolo failed to defend their COSAFA Cup title in South Africa where they were bundled out of the group stage of the regional tournament following an unconvincing display.


The highlight saw Zambia lose their opening two games 2-1 to Lesotho, 1-0 to Eswatini before rebounding with a 2-1 victory over Botswana but drew 0-0 draw against the hosts South Africa to finish fourth in Group A.


It is also the first time Chipolopolo had failed to advance to the COSAFA Cup knockout stage in a tournament Zambia are the second most successful nation with five triumphs and are one win behind record holders Zimbabwe.


Micho’s tournament record was equally poor at the 2021 CHAN last January in Cameroon where Zambia won one and drew two Group D matches before Morocco swept his side off the park in a 3-1 quarterfinal defeat.


Overall, Micho had presided over 27 games out of which twelve were competitive matches winning four, drawing four and collecting as many defeats.


However, the Serbian failed to redeem Zambia’s 2022 AFCON qualifying campaign after taking over a team that had lost its opening two group qualifiers.


Chipolopolo went on to win two, lost one and drew one of their AFCON Group H qualifiers under Micho.


But Micho enjoyed the luxury of playing fifteen friendlies, winning seven, drawing four and losing four.


Meanwhile, FAZ say they will name Micho’s successor over the coming days to oversee Chipolopolo’s 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup Group B qualifiers that begin this September away to Mauritania and at home against Tunisia.


Equatorial Guinea is the fourth team in Group B.


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