Veteran Milutinovic to lead Iraq in South Africa

Veteran Serbian coach Bora Milutinovic will lead Asian champions Iraq at this year’s Confederations Cup in South Africa, the Iraq Football Union (IFU) told AFP on Wednesday.

“We have reached an agreement with Bora and signed a contract with him to manage the team at the Confederations Cup,” IFU deputy chief Najih Humoud said.

Milutinovic will take up the post on April 16, Humoud said, in an appointment that comes two months after Brazilian Jorvan Vieira was sacked as coach of the national side.

“We agreed the contract could be extended” if the team performed well at the competition, which starts on June 14, said Humoud.

Iraq, who will not play in the 2010 World Cup finals after failing to qualify, made it to the Confederations Cup by winning the Asian Cup in 2007, when the side was led by Vieira.

The Brazilian, hailed as a hero after guiding the side to victory in that competition, was sacked in February just four months into his second spell for failing to win a game at the Gulf Cup.

Iraq will face European champions Spain, as well as South Africa and New Zealand in the Confederations Cup, regarded as a tune-up event ahead of the 2010 World Cup that will also be played in South Africa.

Confederation Cup hosts South Africa, Italy, Brazil, Egypt, New Zealand and the United States will complete the line-up.

Milutinovic, 64, has coached five different national sides at five consecutive World Cups.

He led hosts Mexico in 1986, Costa Rica in 1990, the United States in 1994, Nigeria in 1998, and China in 2002.