Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) has confirmed parting ways with Uganda Cranes head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredejovich.
The gaffer is sacked after failing to qualify Uganda Cranes to Africa Cup of Nations due next year in Ivory Coast.
Micho will forever be remembered as the man who helped Uganda Cranes qualify for 2017 AFCON, then breaking a 39-year jinx.
But he failed to replicate his earlier heroics on his second spell as Cranes coach after he was rehired in July 2021.
“Today, Thursday 14th September 2023, FUFA and Mr. Milutin Sredojevic agreed to mutually end the existing employment contract between the two parties,” reads a statement from the Federation.
“FUFA appreciates all efforts and commitment by Mr. Milutin during his period as Head coach of Uganda Cranes.”
Micho’s backroom staff included Moses Basena (Assistant Coach), Fred Kajoba (Goalkeeping Coach), Arthur Kyesimira (Fitness Coach), Franck Plaine (Performance Coach), Behilil Moussa Elhadj (Video Analyst) and Geoffrey Massa (Team Manager).
The decision comes just before Uganda Cranes start their preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers – They will get the campaign underway with two away fixtures against Guinea and Somalia due November 13 & 20th 2023.
But the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers are expected to start next month in October.
Micho was never the best choice
Micho’s appointment in 2021 came at a time as Uganda was set to start preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers then.
He got the job just days after separating ways with Zambia’s Chipolopolo.
The Serbian got the nod on a long list of coaches that had Obren Saric, Ibrahim Kamara and Chris McGinn among others.
It was not a surprise choice by FUFA given they were hiring a man they had worked with before he resigned over salary issues in 2017.
His second spell was far different from the first where he had a couple of senior players.
He returned at a time when the big guns of Denis Onyango, Mike Azira, Geoffrey Wasswa, Godfrey Walusimbi among others had retired.
With the team in transition, Micho’s appointment was a wrong decision given he had no track record of handling or improving youngsters, as the Cranes’ banked on building from the Uganda Hippos team that had reaches the AFCON final.
He started with a 2-1 defeat away to Ethiopia in a Friendly on August 29 2021 Bahir Dar Stadium, and that was a clue of what was more to come.
His defensive approach even where it looks unnecessary and failure to summon the right players, has been his biggest undoing.
And fast forward, Micho has been in charge of 17 Competitive Games (World Cup qualifiers, AFCON Qualifiers, CHAN and CHAN Qualifiers), winning 7, drawn 5 and lost as many.
He was in charge of 13 international friendlies, winning only two against Tanzania and Moldova.
