Milincic Nemanja named new head coach at SC Villa

• SC Villa has unveiled Serbian tactician Milincic Nemanja as their new head coach ahead of the upcoming Uganda Premier League season. 
• Club president Hajji Omar Ahmed Mandela expressed confidence in Nemanja’s experience to take the Jogoos back to the top, both domestically and on the continental stage. SC Villa, who finished sixth last season, are hopeful that Nemanja will steer them back into title contention.

Uganda Premier League giants Sports Club Villa have announced the appointment of a new club head coach, and it’s Serbian Milincic Nemanja and he will start work immediately.

This announcement was made via the club’s official X page and they hope to reclaim their past glory.

Who is Milincic Nemanja?

Milincic is a 37 year old Serbian who brings a vast experience of managing football for a couple of years. The highlight of his career is being the assistant head coach of the Bulgarian National Team 2022/23. His coaching career spans a decade long experience. Additionally, Milincic holds a UEFA PRO National License, UEFA A License, UEFA B License and a UEFA C License all making his CV the perfect fit for the 17 time UPL Champions.

This therefore means that he’s been exposed to top tier football and the Jogoos will hope that he translates the knowledge accumulated over the years to the most successful club in Ugandan football.

Speaking about his appointment, the Serbian expressed his excitement and revealed that he cannot wait to get started.

“I am honoured and thrilled to join SC Villa, a club with such a rich history and dedicated fan base. I am eager to work with the players, staff, and management to build a formidable team that will challenge for every available trophy.”

SC Villa’s president, Omar Mandela, echoed this enthusiasm, noting that:-

“After a thorough selection process, we are confident that Milincic’s experience, vision, expertise, and passion for the game will align perfectly with our ambitions. We believe he is the right person to lead our team to new heights both domestically and on the continental stage.”

Previously SC Villa has been under coach Morley Byekwaso. However, he was relieved of his duties following a mutual agreement. This appointment makes Milincic Nemanja the fourth Serbian to be appointed by Villa. The others before him hav been Mulitin “Micho” Sredojevic (2001-2004), Srdan Zivjnov (2011/12), and Dusan Stojanovic (2023/24).

Villa who were the 2023-24 champions finished in 6th last season 14 points behind league winners Vipers SC. They will therefore be banking on their new manager to hit ground running, close this gap and also compete for all the available titles.