Ted Dumitru

Early coaching career in Romania and Turkey

Dumitru started playing football with local side Sportul Studenţesc in the late 1950s, but a serious knee injury forced him to hang up his boots, as a result he began studying to become a coach. After obtaining his coaching license, Dumitru became the youngest manager ever in Divizia A at age 25, when he joined Ştiinţa Craiova, currently known as Universitatea Craiova, in the middle of the 1965–66 season with whom he finished the season on the eighth position. Dumitru also coached the Romania U23 Olympic team between 1967 and 1968. In 1969, he went to Turkey where he managed Altay Izmir, Beşiktaş and then Mersin. In his first season in charge at Altay he guided the club to a top-three position in the Turkish Süper League.

Move to the United States and final destination Africa

In 1971, Dumitru moved to the United States and became head coach of the Texas Longhorns men's soccer team at the University of Texas, before joining Rochester Lancers in the North American Soccer League in 1974. He coached that side through the 1975 season and went on to coach the New York Apollo in the old American Soccer League. In 1980, Dumitru moved to Africa and was appointed coach of the Zambia national team. He helped Chipolopolo qualify for the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations, but was unable to coach them during the tournament itself due to his US passport. The Afcon tournament was hosted by Libya, a country where Americans were not…

Sources:

Manager

New York Apollo

American Soccer League: 1978; runner-up: 1976 Kaizer Chiefs

PSL Champion: 2003–04, 2004–05 Vodacom Challenge: 2003 BP Top Eight Cup: 1985, 1987 Coca-Cola Cup: 1986, 1988, 2003, 2004 Mainstay Cup: 1987 Charity Spectacular Cup: 1986, 1987, 1988, 2003 NSL runner-up: 1987 Mamelodi Sundowns

PSL Champion: 1997–98, 1998–99 Nedbank Cup: 1998 Rothmans Cup: 1999 CAF Champions League runner-up: 2001 Orlando Pirates

African Cup Winners' Cup semi-final: 1999