Nomadic Bora says Iraq is his toughest challenge

By Mike Collett

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Coaching Iraq is unlike anything Bora Milutinovic has ever done in his famously nomadic career.

The youthful-looking 64-year-old coach, the only man to take five different teams to the World Cup finals, said on Saturday that the national team of the war-ravaged country was "the biggest challenge" of his life.

Serbian-born Milutinovic took over Iraq, who have played more than 70 matches away from home since FIFA banned matches in Baghdad in 2003, in May.

He had previously taken Mexico, Costa Rica, United States, Nigeria and China to World Cup finals.

His first competitive fixture with Iraq will be against hosts South Africa in the opening match of the Confederations Cup at Ellis Park on Sunday. They warmed up with a 1-1 draw against Poland in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Iraq are competing in the tournament as Asian champions but have already been eliminated from the World Cup and will not be back when the event takes place in South Africa a year from now.

Milutinovic was optimistic his team can do well in the Confederations Cup and emerge from a first round group that includes European champions Spain and Oceania champions New Zealand.

"I think we can qualify from the group," he told a news conference.