Addis Ababa outfit Ethiopia Bunna have hired Serbian Kostadin Papic as their new coach following his countrymen Dragan Popadich left the helm due to illness. Papic, 57, has jetted in to Addis Ababa from Belgrade a week ago. He has signed a two years deal with Bunna as confirmed by the club’s official Facebook handle.
Ethiopia Bunna and Popadich parted ways in mutual consent after the Addis Cardiac Center warned the Serbian former Express and Simba coach his illness is life threatening. Ethiopia Bunna has been on hunt to bring a new coach before the new season got underway. The club’s board had a long negotiation with Papic a month ago and all was set for him to take the helm at the 2011/12 Ethiopian champions. Papic has become the third Serbian to coach Bunna after Popadich and Nebojsa Vuceivic.
Papic, who was born on July 17/1960, has a huge experience working in Africa. The coach has career spanned for more than one decade as he led some of the greatest club sides in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania. Papic has led the likes of Soweto bitter rivals Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, Ghanaian giants Hearts of Oak and Dares Salaam based club Young Africans. He had also a brief stint with Nigerian sides Lobi Stars, Enyimba, Engu Rangers and Kwara United.
His last coaching job was in South African National First Division side Royal Eagles. He left the club in April after he went to his native country for a back operation. The coach had been suffering from a back problem a year ago before undergoing operation in late April 2017. Papic told the club’s official Facebook page that he planned to replicate his hey days with other African clubs with Ethiopia Bunna. He also vowed to play an offensive style with the aim of satisfying Bunna fans by achieving better results. Papic’s first league assignment will be on week 3 of the premier league slated for Saturday November 18 when Ethiopia Bunna hosts Mekelakeya in Addis Ababa Stadium.
