Radojko Avramović
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Radojko Avramovic, or otherwise known as "Raddy" is the current Singapore National Football Coach.
[edit] Achievements
The Serbo-Montenegrin's most memorable achievements include leading Kuwait's youth and Olympic team to the final rounds of the Sydney Olympics in 2000.[1]
As a goalkeeper Raddy played for several years in British football, including a spell in the old First Division with Notts County.
Towards the end of 2001, he took over to become Kuwait's national coach.
4 months later, Kuwait were crowned West Asian Games champions and he led Kuwait to the quarter-finals of the 2002 Busan Asian Games.
However, Kuwait terminated his contract when in December 2002, Kuwait failed to reach the knockout stages of the Arab Cup.[2]
He then became coach for the Singapore National football team in 2003 and subsequently led them to the ASEAN Football Championship (at that time known as Tiger Cup) on 16 January 2005 with a 5-2 aggregate win over favourites Indonesia in the finale.[3]
Recent friendly matches against second string Denmark national team and Kuwait national team proved to be difficult for Raddy as he managed a loss in Singapore and draw in Kuwait City, Kuwait respectively. He failed to lead Singapore to the 2006 Asian Cup Qualifiers, although there were some credible results against China and Iraq.
In the 2006 Asian Games held in Doha, the Singapore U-23 squad did not perform to expectations, bowing out in the first round with just a solitary goal to its name. Avramovic was left to rue a case of what could have been, if the Young Lions (U-23) had taken their chances. Still, the inability to beat an understrengthed Indonesia team perhaps had justifed Avramovic's labelling of some players as 'slackers'.[4]
In 2007, Radojko Avramovic guided Singapore towards back-to-back triumphs in the ASEAN Cup, when Singapore edged Thailand 3-2 on aggregate over a two-legged final, at the same time establishing a 15-match unbeaten run in the competition under him stretching back to 2004.[5]
After the back-to-back Asean Cup titles he is a favourite among Singapore fans who hailed him as a Miracle Worker, chunning out credible results against Asian Football Powerhouses with a small talent pool and often, limited resources.
[edit] References
- ^ It's Avramovic's Turn To Roar. Singapore Sports Council. Retrieved on 30 December 2005.
- ^ Saudis grab golden victory. BBC Sport. Retrieved on 8 January 2003.
- ^ "Avramovic signs new Singapore deal", People's Daily. Retrieved on 1 January.
- ^ A necessary painful trek. todayonline.com. Retrieved on 23 November 2006.
- ^ Disappointed Thais expect coach Phalajivin's exit. soccernet.espn.go.com. Retrieved on 4 February 2007.
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