China's Olympic?soccer team?coach Ratomir Dujkovic
wants to take over the country's senior squad after next year's
Beijing Games, according to local media.
Zhu Guanghu, who presided over a dismal Asian Cup campaign, has
not yet left the post but the Chinese Football Association (CFA) is
reported to have already started searching for a new man to take
the team through the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.
"If I can achieve a satisfactory result for everybody at the
Olympics, I would like to coach the senior team to the South Africa
World Cup," sina.com quoted the Serbian as telling the media in the
northeastern city Shenyang.
Having led Ghana to the knockout stages of the 2006 World Cup
finals, Dujkovic is amply qualified.
The CFA, however, might not be prepared to wait until next
August as their World Cup qualification campaign is likely to get
underway in February.
"I think to guide China's top national squad is a dream and
glory for a coach, but as the Olympic team coach I will take the
Olympic team as first priority," Dujkovic said.
Dujkovic's team is joining Botswana, Japan, and North Korea for
a four-nation invitational tournament in Shenyang this week and the
61-year-old said his aim was to win, as it would be next August in
Beijing.
"My aim is the Olympic gold medal," he said. "As long as my
players work hard I think we can fulfill our goal."
(China Daily via Reuters August 1, 2007)