By LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter

Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Crenston Boxhill (left) greets Bora Milutinovic at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel yesterday. Milutinovic is in the island to talk with the JFF about becoming Jamaica's next technical director. - Rudolph Brown

After months of speculation, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is on the brink of announcing Serbian Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic as the national technical director.

Bora, as he is most commonly called, arrived in the island yesterday where he was met at the Norman Manley International Airport by JFF treasurer Rudolph Speid.

Bora was also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and JFF president Crenston Boxhill yesterday evening to finalise contractual agreements.

According to Boxhill, the Government's involvement will be crucial as he will be seeking its assistance to pay a portion of Bora's salary. Boxhill has also been talking with private companies to help underwrite the coach's salary.

Bora is scheduled to leave the island on Monday and Speid said it is a possibility he could sign on as technical director before leaving.

The globetrotting Bora, 62, is the only person to have coached five different teams at the World Cup: Mexico (1986), Costa Rica (1990), the United States (1994), Nigeria (1998), and China (2002). He is also the first coach to take four different teams beyond the first round (all the above except China).

Bora's last visit to Jamaica was in March 2004 as Honduras' coach for a friendly with Jamaica. The game ended 2-2.

Fact File

Country of Birth - Yugoslavia

Born: September 7, 1944

History of countries coached

1986 - Mexico - took them to the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup; led the nation to its highest-ever finish.

1990 - Costa Rica - came on board just before the World Cup and stunned many by getting the team into the second round.

1991 - United States - carried the team to the 1994 World Cup then proceeded to qualify for the second round.

1997 - Qualified Nigeria for France '98 and also took that team to the second round.

2002 - China - took that team to the World Cup after four decades of disappointment, but for the first time failed to make the second round.

2003 - Signed on to coach the Honduras national team, but resigned on June 30, 2004 during World Cup qualification.

2006 - arrives in Jamaica on October 12, to finalise talks with the Jamaica Football Feder-ation on becoming the national technical director.

Claim to Fame:

Milutinovic is known throughout the world as a football mercenary able to take a team on short notice and achieve immediate success.