New coach – MBU outfit gets another instructor
TUCKER, St James — The coaching carousel at Montego Bay United continues with Brazilian Leonardo Neiva becoming the club’s seventh head coach in five years as well as the third this season, after the departure of American Timothy Hankinson earlier this month.
The 37-year-old, who most recently coached in Tanzania and South Africa, has been signed to the end of the season, according to Montego Bay United’s president Orville Powell.
Neiva, who will make his Jamaican debut on Monday night against Cavalier SC at the Stadium East field in Kingston, is the second Brazilian, and fourth foreigner to coach Montego Bay United.
His compatriot Nedier dos Santos arrived in the first season, after he had coached at Village United, while Spaniard Carlos Garcia who was in charge most of last season before leaving on the Easter weekend, and Hankinson, are the other non-Jamaicans to lead the team that has been to the last two Premier League finals, as well as the Flow Champions Cup KO final.
Jamaicans Dean Weatherly and Hugh Solomon, who both had several stints in charge, and Donovan Duckie, who started the 2013-14 season, have also played their role.
In his first interview with the Jamaican media, Neiva told Jamaica Observer West on Sunday that he intends to keep Montego Bay United at the top.
“My first target is to win the national league title,” he said on Sunday, after watching Montego Bay United slug through a dreary 0-0 draw against UWI FC in a Red Stripe Premier League second-round game at WesPow Park.
Neiva, who has worked in African football, says he sees a lot of similarities with African football and Jamaican football, particularly in the physicality of the players.
Powell told the Observer West that Neiva, who started as head coach on Monday, will be in charge until the end of the season, after which time they will continue their search for “a long-term solution.”
He added that the coach had been recommended to the club by English-based coach Barry McIntosh.
Montego Bay United, the two- time finalists, had ended the first round on top of the points tables with 24 points, unbeaten in 10 straight games, and have scored the most goals under Hankinson.
