GOLDEN ARROWS OFFICIALLY INTRODUCE NEW COACH

Lamontville Golden Arrows Chairperson Mato Madlala has officially named former Montenegro national coach Zoran Filipovic as the new head coach of the team. The announcement was made on Wednesday and comes shortly after the departure of Manqoba Mngqithi to Amazulu.

Filipovic comes highly rated as a coach and has had great success as a player in the 1970's and 1980's for Red Star Belgrade and SL Benfica.
At the press conference, Ms Madlala immediately reassured the club supporters that the team aimed for success this season.

“At Golden Arrows we use a different yardstick to determine the success of the club, and we have discussed this with the coach. This includes ensuring that our players’ performances improve both individually and as a team from the previous season,” she said.

She further added: “Participating in all major competitions within the Premier Soccer League, and becoming finalists, at least in one of those tournaments is vital. The upcoming 2010 / 2011 season promises to be an exciting one for our club and we have ambitions of improving even further in the upcoming season and beyond.”

Last season saw Golden Arrows’ Kagisho Dikgacoi sign a lucrative contract with English Premiership club Fulham. And later two players, Siyabonga Sangweni and Thanduyise Khuboni got selected into the Bafana Bafana squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad.

2/….

The greatest achievement was winning the MTN 8 trophy after beating Ajax Cape Town in the final played at Orlando Stadium.

Madlala concluded by saying: “We want to also ensure that our players work hard enough to attract the attention of both junior and senior national teams”.

For Filipovic, the chance to coach a colourful team such as Golden Arrows was welcomed. “I am happy and privileged to be here in South Africa during this period, so close after the completion of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. There is no doubt that there is huge potential for players to develop further and I am happy that I am working with a club that takes the development of players seriously”.

“In the short time I have been here, I see that the club is not focusing only in the senior team, but investing a lot in junior teams as well. This augurs well for the future sustainability of the club,” he added.

Filipovic also revealed his plans, with the main objective being to fast-track their development in the senior team. He also added that he has successfully achieved with other teams in the past and look forward to unearthing rough diamonds that we will polish for the benefit of the club and the country.

The coach’s immediate plan with his technical team is to assess all the players that are currently with the team, with the aim of trimming down the squad to a manageable number of approximately 26 players.