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Former Township Rollers coach Nikola Kavazovic will begin his tenure as Free State Stars’ new man at the helm later this week.
Ea Lla Koto boss Mike Mokoena told City Press the club had agreed on a two-and-a-half-year deal with the 43-year-old Serb.
“We have signed him and he will be here to prepare the team for the second round of the [Absa Premiership] season,” said Mokoena of the man who has succeeded Luc Eymael. The Belgian vacated the hot seat last month.
Kavazovic came to prominence with Botswana powerhouse Township Rollers, whom he guided to a league and cup double and, in the process, they became the first team from the landlocked country to qualify for the group stages of the CAF Champions League.
The charismatic trainer joined Stars barely a month after he was unveiled as AFC Leopards’ coach in the Kenyan Premier League, where he had already started preseason training, having signed a two-year deal there.
But Kavazovic has since cancelled his contract with Leopards in favour of the Nedbank Cup champions, said Mokoena.
Stars were eliminated in the preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup this week, further compounding their struggles on the domestic front.
“We had very weak opponents, but going into the competition without a head coach worked against us,” said Mokoena, referring to the team’s 1-0 aggregate loss to Mukura Victory Sports of Rwanda.
Assistant coaches David Vilakazi and Selaotse Mosala have been in charge on a caretaker basis.
Stars, debutants in the CAF interclub competition, were the only South African side that failed to advance to the next stage after Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs progressed.
“It’s over now. We should focus sharply on the league for the team to move out of the relegation zone. We are hopeful that the new man will turn our fortunes around,” Mokoena said.
The 11th-placed Ea Lla Koto – who have not won in the past four league fixtures – will host Pirates at Goble Park when the Absa Premiership programme resumes on Wednesday.
The game is Stars’ last official match before the festive break and Kavazovic, subject to a work permit, will begin his mandate with a game against Bidvest Wits in the new year.
Meanwhile, log leaders Pirates will return to the domestic campaign with a CAF Champions league first-round berth after a 3-1 victory over Light Stars FC of the Seychelles on Tuesday.
The Buccaneers won the home leg 5-1 at Orlando Stadium last week to progress 8-2 on aggregate and set a date with African Stars of Namibia in the next round.
Sundowns have also advanced in the premier continental club competition, courtesy of a 7-1 aggregate victory over Leones Vegetarianos of Equatorial Guinea.
The South African champions will face Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya next.
Despite a shock 2-1 defeat to Zanzibar minnows Zimamoto FC in the second leg of their Confederation Cup fixture on Tuesday, Chiefs made headway in the second-tier competition with a 5-2 aggregate win after they won the first leg in Port Elizabeth 4-0.
Amakhosi will meet Elgeco Plus of Madagascar when they return to their respective club continental competitions next weekend.
