SC Villa have turned to Serbian coach Nemanja Milincic as their new head coach, the club announced Friday—just a day after parting ways with Morley Byekwaso.
Milincic, 38, is not entirely new to African football circles. His most high-profile job to date was serving as an assistant coach with the Bulgarian national team between 2021 and 2023.
The club shared the news in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) and signed by CEO William Nkemba. The length of his contract wasn’t disclosed. Milincic becomes the fourth Serbian to take charge at SC Villa, following in the footsteps of Mulitin “Micho” Sredojevic, Srdan Zivjnov, and Dusan Stojanovic.
“I am honoured and thrilled to join SC Villa, a club with such a rich history and dedicated fan base,” Milincic said after being unveiled.
“I am eager to work with the players, staff and management to build a formidable team that will challenge for every available trophy. I know expectations are high, and am committed to delivering success and making our supporters proud.”
SC Villa president Omar Mandela, a businessman and longtime club supporter, said Milincic emerged as the best fit after an extensive search.
“After a thorough selection process, we are confident that Milincic’s experience, vision, expertise and passion for the game will align perfectly with our ambitions,” Mandela said. “We believe he is the right person to lead our team to new heights both domestically and on the continental stage.”
Milincic was born on February 19, 1989, and holds a UEFA A coaching license. His résumé, however, leans heavily toward work behind the scenes. Over the past decade, he’s built a career largely as a match analyst, with short spells in assistant coaching roles.
His most recent position was at Nepradak FC, where he served as assistant coach for just three months, from December 2024 to March 2025.
Before that, he spent more than a year as assistant coach with the Bulgaria national team. His CV also includes stints as an analyst with clubs like Red Star Belgrade, Al Ettifaq, AEK Athens, Al Ahli, and the Serbia national team. He has also worked as assistant with Serbia’s U-19 side, FC Koper and OFK Beograd—where his coaching career began in 2014.
Milincic takes over from Morley Byekwaso, whose departure was confirmed Wednesday. The club said the decision was mutual.
Byekwaso took over in 2024 following SC Villa’s dramatic title win under Dusan Stojanovic. Hopes were high for the former KCCA tactician, but the team struggled to maintain momentum.
Villa finished sixth in the just-ended 2024/25 Uganda Premier League season. They lost nine of their 30 league matches as Vipers SC went on to claim the title.
While results were inconsistent and often conservative, Byekwaso earned praise for steadying a club that had long been mired in internal strife.
Now, the task of rebuilding and challenging for silverware again falls to Milincic.
