He took them to the 2023 Carling Knockout final, where they lost on penalties to Stellenbosch FC, and despite a FIFA transfer ban and endlessly having to sell his top players, kept the side competitive in the league.
Ramovic, 46, left in November 2024 for a fresh challenge at Young Africans in Tanzania, and after a short stay there was appointed coach of Algerian side CR Belouizdad in February 2025.
He is 12 games short of being the club’s longest serving coach ever, with one of those against Stellenbosch in the CAF Confederation Cup group stages in Cape Town on Sunday.
He admits life in Algeria is more tenuous as he assesses the difference between coaching in that country and South Africa’s Premier Soccer League.
“The difference is clear, the quality of players, the level of competition and the pressure. In Algeria, every team is very tough to play against. They invest a lot, and the expectations are extremely high,” Ramovic said.
“When I was coaching TS Galaxy, the pressure was not the same. If you finished fifth, sixth or even tenth, it was acceptable. The key objective there was to develop players that the club could sell, and I think we did a very good job.
“But winning titles in that environment is very difficult because every season you lose seven or eight players.
“Unlike clubs with big financial power, you cannot simply buy players for millions. You have to rely on your academy. That brings its own challenges, but it was also a great experience and a great time for me as a coach.”
Ramovic admits that every game is a must-win in Algeria and there is little margin for error.
“At Belouizdad, it is completely different. Here, you have to win. If you don’t, the criticism comes immediately, the coach is not good, the players are not good, changes must be made. That is the reality,” he said.
“In Algeria, the average time for a coach can be three or four months. I have been here for a year now, which already makes me one of the longest-serving coaches at the club. But the goal is not longevity, the goal is to win.”
Ramovic is hopeful he can bring successes to the team this season, though they are a distant second in the league to Rhulani Mokwena’s MC Alger, a coach he had an acrimonious relationship with when they sparred in the PSL. They trail MC Alger by 12 points.
They face MC Alger in the quarter-finals of the Algeria Cup on March 3, which could be a crucial game for Ramovic. But they also top their Confederation Cup pool ahead of Sunday’s clash in Cape Town.
“We are still in the quarter-finals of the cup and second in the league. That means expectations are high,” Ramovic said. “We have to win something. If not, I will be replaced, and some players will be replaced as well. That is the pressure, but it is also the challenge. This is the level where you can win trophies, and that is why I am here.”
The coach did express his joy at being back in South Africa having always given the impression he enjoyed his time in the PSL.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be back in this great country,” he said. I spent almost three years here and met so many fantastic people, so returning makes me both happy and proud. It’s always a pleasure to be here."
“But we also have a game in front of us, and our objective is clear, we want to get something out of it. We are playing against a very good team. They have quality players and a very good coach (Gavin Hunt), so once again it will be a very difficult match.
“We have prepared ourselves well and we will try our best. Hopefully, we can come away with a positive result.”
