The Serbian tactician, Milovan Rajevac, remains etched in the memories of Egyptians from the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations final, where he led Ghana to an impressive second place.
His coaching prowess also marked Ghana’s quarterfinal achievement in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, a dream shattered by Luis Suarez’s handball and Asamoah Gyan’s missed penalty, paving the way for Morocco’s triumph in Qatar 2022.
Rajevac’s recent stint with the Black Stars witnessed a shocking exit from the group stage in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
In an exclusive interview with FilGoal.com, the Serbian coach sheds light on his experiences and the challenges faced.
FilGoal.com: What are your memories of working with the Ghana national team?
Milovan Rajevac: I have diverse memories from participating in two Africa Cup of Nations editions, especially in Angola 2010, where Ghana secured the second spot after losing the final to Egypt.
Despite crucial injuries to key players, we assembled a team of talented youngsters.
Many of our key players were unavailable, yet we managed to build a competitive team, reaching the final and playing exceptionally well.
Unfortunately, we lost to Egypt in the final moments. It was a fantastic experience that provided us with momentum heading into the World Cup in South Africa later that year.
The last edition in Cameroon was exceptionally challenging. The team underwent changes, and we had limited preparation time.
Dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, protocols, and unresolved issues, especially in the final match against Comoros, where an early red card made our task extremely difficult.
It wasn’t a great memory, and, unfortunately, I lost my job afterward.
FilGoal.com: What happened to Ghana in the 2021 edition?
Milovan Rajevac: It was a new team, and handling matters was challenging.
We negotiated with several players, and while many agreed to join for the World Cup qualifiers, they were unavailable for the Africa Cup of Nations.
In the opening match against Morocco, we played well but lost with a solitary goal.
Against Gabon, we performed well, but the issue was a lack of concentration, and the game wasn’t played cleanly.
Instead of Gabon returning the ball, they took it and scored against us. So, everything hinged on the last match against Comoros.
We wanted to do our best, but things don’t always go as planned. We received an early red card, played with 10 players, and Comoros, highly motivated, took advantage.
We were close to reaching the knockout stages, but unfortunately, we were eliminated.
I felt regret as I couldn’t guide Ghana to the World Cup for the second time, creating a sense of disappointment.
Nevertheless, my heart is with Ghana, and I support its success.
FilGoal.com: Are the rumors about internal problems and conflicts true?
Milovan Rajevac: There were no crises in the camp. The atmosphere was good, and we communicated a lot with the players.
However, on the field, you can’t control everything.
We weren’t fortunate, and some things didn’t go as planned.
There were no personal problems, but health issues and injuries are uncontrollable factors.
There were no problems between players and the coaching staff; it was circumstances piling up against us.
Ghana performed better in the World Cup qualifiers, and I believe they will improve in the future.
FilGoal.com: What are your expectations for the future of the Ghana national team?
Milovan Rajevac: Ghana always has talented players capable of achieving great things.
This was evident in my first stint in 2008 when many players from the U-20 team and the local league rose to prominence.
Ghana is passionate about football, and you’ll always see talents emerging.
Players like Mohammed Kudus, whom I had the opportunity to work with, could have made a significant impact if he hadn’t been injured during the last Africa Cup of Nations. If he was with us, we could have performed better.
Now, you can see what he contributes as one of the key players in the English Premier League.
FilGoal.com: Who are the top 3 players in African history, in your opinion?
Milovan Rajevac: It’s not easy to select the best African players because there are many outstanding ones.
Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, especially in recent years, have been remarkable.
In the past, there were legendary players like George Weah, Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, and Michael Essien.
I also admired Mohamed Aboutrika from Egypt in the past.
It’s not easy to pick three, but I’ve mentioned several.
FilGoal.com: What is your best moment in Africa? And what is the worst memory?*
Milovan Rajevac: My best moment in Africa is undoubtedly the 2010 World Cup with Ghana, particularly when we defeated the United States to reach the quarterfinals and face Uruguay.
It was the most significant achievement in African football at that time (before Morocco reached the semi-finals in 2022).
The toughest experience in Africa and the worst memory was losing to Comoros and exiting the group stage in the last edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.
FilGoal.com: Who is the best coach in African history?
Milovan Rajevac: It’s not easy to discuss coaches because I respect all of them.
I understand the difficulty of the job, the effort exerted, and the struggles to deliver the best.
I respect them all, but the focus should always be on national teams.
For me, Hassan Shehata was crucial during 2010, achieving great things with Egypt in the past.
