Azkals enlist Serbian coach for SEAG bid

MANILA, Philippines - Bidding for a better showing in the next Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine Football Federation got things rolling this early by getting the services of veteran Serbian coach Zoran Dordevic.

Described as an accomplished mentor both at the international and club level, Dordevic will be assigned to help handle teams outside the senior squad (Azkals), beginning with Under-21 squad doing battle in next month’s Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy (HBT) meet in Brunei. 

According to Azkals chief and newly designated U-21 manager Dan Palami, the mainstays of the Brunei-bound team will likely form the core of Phl’s U-23 entry to the 2013 SEAG in Myanmar.

“We want to make sure that we will be well-prepared for the SEA Games next year as what we promised after our disappointing result in Indonesia,” said Palami, who also took charge of the U-23 team that placed last in its group in Jakarta, winning only one game.

The entry of Dordevic, 60, will allow German mentor Michael Weiss to concentrate solely on the seniors team. Weiss concurrently called the shots for the SEAG U-23 team while handling the Azkals.

Dordevic is expected to bring in a wealth of experience. He was credited for steering Bangladesh to the South Asian Games crown in 2010 without conceding a single goal and prior to this, he piloted FC Churchill to the diadem in the top-flight I-League in India.