Bora Milutinovic arrives at Norman Manley International Airport yesterday. - Junior Dowie / Staff Photographer

FIVE-STAR coach Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic arrived in Jamaica yesterday ready to begin his work with the Reggae Boyz.

Milutinovic, who has coached a record five separate countries at World Cup Finals, is expected to sign a contract with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) soon as head coach of the nation's senior football team.

The team, which will play Peru for the first time in a friendly international at the National Stadium tonight at 7:00, is currently coached by its long-time boss Carl Brown, whose latest stint has run just over three months and ends with the game.

Broad smile

Milutinovic, always armed with a broad smile, greeted members of the JFF hierarchy - president Crenston Boxhill, general secretary Burchell Gibson and treasurer Rudolph Speid inside the passageway outside the customs hall at the Norman Manley International Airport, then did a brief interview with journalists.

First up, the Serbian-born coach, who resides in Mexico, defined his tasks as "... to watch game, to see the players, everything".

He is slated to take the reins for the next four years through the World Cup campaign dubbed 'Back to Africa' for the sport's showpiece event in South Africa in 2010.

Crucial

Jamaica have only qualify for the World Cup Finals once, in France '98, and Milutinovic said it is crucial to get that next appearance with the next shot. "I think what is important is to work hard to come back (qualify) in Africa. I think that is most important," he said.

He urged a combined effort for that goal, saying: "Most important you need ambition, discipline and team spirit ... but everybody needs to support the team. The board of directors, the players, the coach, the journalists, if you don't have a positive energy it will be difficult to go through.

"First you need to have patience, you need to have vision, you need to work hard, everything you need to analyse, you have to make decisions," he said. The coach also expressed comfort with the talent Jamaica possesses.

"I'm sure we have talented players. When I was with Mexico, with the US (United States of America) we had so many problems to play in Kingston," he noted of the CONCACAF big teams which never managed to beat Jamaica here under his tenure.

When Milutinovic was asked how he planned to go about his duties, he didn't get a chance to answer as Boxhill, who had been closely monitoring the interview, interjected by reminding the coach that a press conference was coming up.

Then Milutionvic said: "First I come, I enjoy. First we speak to Mr. President (Boxhill) about vision, to sign everything to have vision to go to Africa. It's possible."

Queried about when Milutinovic would begin working as Jamaica's coach, Boxhill said "shortly".

He added: "As to exactly when we'll make that announcement at the appropriate time, which is shortly. We are very close to that. I can assure you that in the near future, very, very, very near, I'll be making an announcement as to what we'll do from here.

"That we'll make public, as soon as we're making it public. We'll make a grand announcement as it relates to everything to do with the technical aspect of the programme," said Boxhill.