Zivadinovic Signs Contract to Handle Stars

Yugoslav-born Milan Zivadinovic yesterday signed a two-year renewable contract with the Ghana Football Association as the new coach of the senior national team, the Black Stars.
His immediate task is to prepare the Stars for the 2004 Olympic and All Africa games and the Africa Nations Cup which according to the Chairman of the Ghana Football Association, Mr Ben Koufie, will be used as a springboard for 2006 World Cup qualifying matches.
Mr Koufie said the association would supplement the coach's monthly salary, which is speculuatively, fixed at 10,000 dollars.
He could not however, say how much the GFA will be adding.
Although, the GFA chairman was not prepared to give details of the contract, he said the Coach would be entitled to an official car, accommodation and a Ghanaian assistant.
Zivadinovic, 58, who has had stints with his own country, Qatar and Iraq said he chose Ghana ahead of other offers not because of the money involved but because of its great players.
"The future of soccer is in Black Africa, I want to help Ghana qualify for the next World Cup," said the coach who has been in the field for 30 years.
Zivadinovic left Ghana yesterday for Yugoslavia and is expected back on June 20 to begin his first phase of programmes which is in two-strands.
He will assemble some selected foreign-based players currently holidaying in the country for a week's exercise and later move some local players to Europe for a 10-12 day programme where they are expected to play some trial matches.