Rajevac: Serbian confirmed for second Ghana spell after 2010 World Cup exploits

The Ghana Football Association has announced Serbian tactician Milovan Rajevac as the new head coach of the Black Stars.

The announcement was made at a press conference at the GFA Secretariat in Accra on Friday.

The 67-year-old makes a return to the West African nation for a second spell, having first led the side between 2008 and 2010, the highlight being a quarter-final appearance at the World Cup in South Africa.

He takes over from CK Akonnor, who was fired on the back of an uninspiring start to the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Rajevac makes a comeback to the Ghana job on a one-year contract, which according to the GFA, will be automatically extended to February 2023 should he qualify Ghana to the 2022 World Cup. 

The arrangement is a result of the scheduling of the next World Cup which runs between November and December next year.

The FA also revealed the coach’s monthly salary as 30,000 USD (35,038.35 Euro), and that he has been tasked to lead Ghana to victory at the delayed Afcon 2021 tournament and qualify the team for the next World Cup in Qatar.

The former Thailand boss will be assisted by former Ghana winger Otto Addo, who will combine his new Black Stars role with his existing job as assistant coach of German Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund.

Also making a return as assistant coach is Maxwell Konadu, who has previously had two stints in the role with the Black Stars.

Ghana’s 2010 World Cup No.1 Richard Kingson, meanwhile, has been maintained as the goalkeeper trainer in the new regime.

"Milovan already started working even before today’s event after arriving in Ghana on Sunday”, said GFA boss Kurt Okraku, who also stated, “Milovan knows us and our culture very well” and that “this is no time for trial and error”.

The Serbian’s first task is to lead the Black Stars into a World Cup qualifying double-header against Zimbabwe next month.

In their opening two games, the West Africans registered a 1-0 home win over Ethiopia before losing 1-0 away to South Africa in Johannesburg, leaving the Stars second on the table in Group G.

In Rajevac’s first spell, he led Ghana to the final of the 2009 African Nations Championship, the final of the 2010 Afcon and to the quarter-final of the 2010 World Cup.