Jankovic appointed U23 coach
Zoran Jankovic has been appointed coach of the national U23 side, the Football Association of Thailand said yesterday.
The move came after Worrawoot Srimaka, who guided the team to the SEA Games title last month, informed the FAT that he wanted to be only an assistant coach of the side.
Worrawoot will now be Jankovic’s assistant, while Milovan Rajevac, coach of Thailand’s full national team, will be adviser to the U23 side.
Serbia’s Jankovic is also an assistant coach to his compatriot Rajevac in the senior national team.
The Thai team will next play in the AFC U23 Championship in China in January.
Worrawoot yesterday had a meeting with FAT technical cheif Witthaya Laohakul.
“We would like to thank Worrawoot who only wants to be an assistant coach of the team,” Witthaya said.
Witthaya initially wanted Rajevac to also take charge of the U23 team but the Serb turned down the offer as he wants to focus on the senior national team.
Meanwhile, Spencer Prior has quit as coach of the Thai women’s team after they could only finish second at the SEA Games last month.
The Englishman was appointed coach of the Thai women’s team in May last year.
He steered the team to win the 2016 Southeast Asian title and qualify for the AFC Women’s Championship which will be held in Jordan next year.
Thailand were favourites to win the gold medal at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games but missed out on the title due to their inferior goal difference to champions Vietnam.
WORLD CUP PLAY-OFF
Syria will play Australia in the first leg of their crucial World Cup Asian play-off in Malaysia next month.
Football Federation Australia said it had received official confirmation that the Socceroos would face the war-divided nation at the Hang Jebat Stadium in Melaka on Oct 5.
The Australians will host the return leg in Sydney five days later.
Syria, who have never qualified for the World Cup finals, have been forced to play all their home qualifiers in Malaysia because of the civil war back home.
The winner will take on the fourthplaced team from the Concacaf region in home and away matches in November for a place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
‘OVERWEIGHT’ TEVEZ DROPPED
Argentine striker Carlos Tevez is “overweight” and will not feature for Shanghai Shenhua until he gets fit, according to club’s caretaker manager Wu Jingui.
Tevez, 33, has recently returned to China following a two-week trip to Argentina to recover from a muscle injury.
Wu also criticised midfielder Fredy Guarin’s fitness levels in an interview with the South China Morning Post.
“I will not pick him right now. He’s [Tevez] not ready physically. He’s not fit to play,” Wu was quoted as saying.
“He is overweight, along with Guarin. If you are unable to do your utmost to play, there’s no point in picking you. I have coached lots of big stars, and my players are never picked on reputation.”
Tevez has struggled for form in the Chinese Super League and has scored twice in 12 appearances.
Big-spending club Shenhua, currently placed 11th in the Super League, named Wu caretaker after Gus Poyet resigned on Monday.