Soccer experts say Krmpotić has huge task in new league season

What you need to know:

  • The coach managed to train famous players for clubs like TP Mazembe, Don Bosco of DR Congo, Zambia’s Zesco as well as South Africa’s Royal Eagles

Dar es Salaam. Football analysts have said that the newly-appointed Young Africans (Yanga) head coach, Zlatco Krmpotić, has huge challenges to surmount if the club’s objectives are to be attained. This is despite his rich soccer coaching experience.

Krmpotić - who arrives in Tanzania today to start his new assignment with the Jangwani Street club - is among the most experienced coaches in Africa, having coached famous clubs like TP Mazembe and Don Bosco of DR Congo; Zambia’s Zesco; South Africa’s Royal Eagles, and Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy Club.

Also during his managerial career, Krmpotić worked for many other clubs in Serbia (AIK Bačka Topola, OFK Beograd for three spells, and Obilic); Sweden (Degerfors IF, FYR); Macedonia (Sloga Jugomagnat); Turkey (Ankaragücü); Greece (Paniliakos); Cyprus (Nea Salamis); Kazakhstan (Kairat) and the Kuwait-based club Kazma.

He also led the Serbia and Montenegro U-17s (2005), as well as the Serbia U-19 national soccer team in 2007 and 2008. A Tanzanian football analyst, Theogenis Alex Kashasha, says local clubs have managed to acquire many football coaches with the best curriculum vitae (CV), but they ended up being sacked, usually due to their poor performance.

Kashasha says most of the coaches are challenged by the environment and leadership, both of which are key to successful coaching. “Krmpotić is a good coach with an excellent CV. He is an among the few coached who managed to work for various clubs in different African countries where there was a conducive environment and leadership, to great success. What determines the performance of any coach is the working environment, the players’ commitment and the leadership. Many Tanzanian clubs have sacked otherwise good coaches, and Krmpotić faces the same challenges, while club members and fans seek good results from coaches,” said Kashasha. For his part, Ally Mayay said Krmpotić is a good coach, and his task ahead is to organise the players who have been recruited in this season to get the best results.

Mayay said Krmpotić - like other coaches in the world - must focus on victory despite the fact, although he has about a week or so in which to train the team before the new league starts on September 6 this year.

“You may recruit the best coach in the world, but he cannot survive in the club if he does not record good results. But, Yanga have recruited good players, and I believe they will do their best on the soccer pitch,” said Mayay

Another coach, Joseph Kanakamfumu, asked Yanga fans to realise that the time left before the league starts is not enough for Krmpotić to build a formation for the team rather than depending on individual skills of the players only.

Kanakamfumu said the Serbian - who also has Croatian citizenship - is a good coach. But, he needs support from the club’s officials, members and fans if he is to perform his duties well. “Basically, the new coach has a huge task as the club leaders and members need victory and the trophy,” said Kanakamfumu.