Axed Simba coach Zoran Manojlovic  resurfaces in Egypt

In a shock move, axed Simba coach Zoran Manojlovic has been unveiled as the new mentor for Egyptian Premier League side Ittihad Alex SC.

On Tuesday, Simba announced that they had cut ties with Serbian, with the club’s CEO Barbara Gonzalez saying African clubs no longer needed tourists.

She said the continent’s clubs needed coaches that would commit to long-term projects.

Hours later, the Egyptian outfit announced Manojlovic as their new mentor via their social media platforms. 

“The board of directors successfully completes contract negotiations with Serbian Zoran Manojlovic to take over technical leadership of the first team of the football club of Alexandria,” the club said in a statement.

Ittihad finished the season in position 12 after amassing 38 points from 34 games. They won nine games, drew 11 and lost 14 times.

The Serbian mentor, who turned 60 in July, has not been lucky with jobs, particularly in Africa.

The nomadic Manojlovic, who began his coaching career in Portugal, has coached in seven countries, including Morocco, Angola, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Algeria, Portugal and Tanzania. 

Egypt becomes his eighth.

His most successful spell was with Angola’s Primeiro de Agosto between December 2017 and July 2019.

He guided Primeiro de Agosto to the Caf Champions League semi-final in 2018.

His shortest spell was in Tanzania, where he spent 57 days. 

In Saudi Arabia, where he was at the helm of Al-Tai, he only lasted 64 days, from 30 August 2021 to 4 November 2021. 

When he was shown the exit door, the club was perched at the basement of the table.

Manojlović only lasted six months at Moroccan club Wydad AC [July 2019 to January 2020]. 

Between 2020 and 2021, he coached four different clubs – Wydad, Al Tai, Al Hilal, and CR Belouizdad.