LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter

Boxhill

Serbian Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic may have become the new favourite to coach the senior men's national team after meeting with Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Crenston Boxhill on Wednesday in Mexico.

Boxhill, who was accompanied by treasurer Rudolph Speid, also met with an unnamed coach and said he was "very impressed" by both men.

The successful coach will be responsible for leading Jamaica's qualification to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"I had a breakfast meeting on Wednesday morning in Miami with a coach. I won't say who, and a dinner meeting in Mexico City with the person you just called," Boxhill said yesterday, referring to Milutinovic.

Boxhill, who left the island Tuesday and returned Thursday night, added: "Both meetings went extremely well and I came back to Jamaica quite upbeat and impressed with both meetings because I believe they are ideal coaches for Jamaica."

When The Gleaner pressed Boxhill for more details, pointing out that only one person can be hired as head coach, he reiterated his satisfaction with both meetings and declined to divulge further details.

Boxhill also denied that the meeting in Miami was with Argentine José Pekerman, who is believed to be one of the top candidates for the job.

The well-travelled Milutinovic has an impressive track record of qualifying five countries for the FIFA World Cup, the only coach to achieve this.

He is among a number of coaches the JFF has been courting along with Jamaican-born Englishman John Barnes, former England coach Glenn Hoddle, Dutchman Foppe de Haan, Brazilian Oswaldo de Oliveira and Pekerman.

The search for the next senior Reggae Boyz head coach has been gripping the headlines since Boxhill stated that he would be "restructuring the technical department" after the infamous England tour in late May and June when Jamaica had two embarrassing defeats to Ghana and England.

dismissal

That restructuring included the dismissal of goalkeeper coach Paul Campbell and technical director Wendell Downswell.

Former coach Carl Brown was reappointed in the interim. His contract expires on November 16 and Boxhill said the new coach could be announced before Brown's contract is up.

However, a source close to The Gleaner said the announcement could come as early as the next two weeks and that Boxhill is just "dotting the Is and crossing the Ts."

Whoever the JFF hires is likely to demand a hefty salary. Milutinovic was reportedly asking for 3.5 million euro (J$266 million) a year. That would be J$1.06 billion over four years.

"I'm not ready to disclose the figure," stated Boxhill when asked about the coach's salary.

"But the Government has offered to provide a portion of the coach's salary and we are in talks with companies in the private sector and that is going great."

Bora the new favourite