Former West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola has applied for the vacant Ghana coaching job, Ghanasoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.

The Italy and Chelsea legend is among the over 50 European coaches who have shown keen interest in replacing Serb Milovan Rajevac

He faces stiff competition from top notch coaches like Humberto Coelho, Juande Ramos and Lucien Favre.

Zola’s coaching career began in 2006 as assistant manager to Italy Under-21 team which reached the quarter-finals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The 44-year-old only experience as club coach lasted for two years in charge of English Premier League West Ham and ensured he retained their top flight status after a turbulent campiagn last season.

Zola played football for 21 years including Chelsea where he was voted Football Writers’ Player of the Year in 1997 and the club’s greatest ever player.

He was capped 35 times for the Italy national team.