Zifa wants a local coach

10 Mar, 2017 - 00:03 0 Views
Zifa wants a local coach

The ManicaPost

Ray Bande Senior Sports Report
THE country’s football mother body – Zifa – will prioritise local coaches ahead of their foreign counterparts in finding Kalisto Pasuwa’s replacement as Warrior’s head coach, the association’s vice president Omega Sibanda has said.

The Warriors will be back in action in June when the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers begin with their first assignment at home tie against Liberia before the qualifiers take a long hiatus only to resume next year.

Thus, Zifa are in the process of coming up with the final list of junior and senior national team coaches, including the Warrior’s substantive head coach after the departure of Pasuwa.

In a telephone interview on Wednesday morning, Zifa vice president Sibanda called for patience as the association explores all avenues to come up with the best candidate for the highest football coaching job on land.

Tonderayi Ndiraya

Sibanda said although they were holding their cards close to their chest, they are treating it as a matter of urgency and anytime soon Pasuwa’s successor will be made public

“I think people have to be patient with us. They have to be patient with us in order for us to come up with the best candidate for the job. The nation has to be patient with us so that we do the right thing. We are doing our best to engage the best candidates for the job. We do not want to repeat the same mistakes that we done before.

Bruce Grobbelaar

“We are working overtime on this issue my brother. It is only that we are doing everything behind the scenes and when we get the right man we will certainly take no time and announce to the public. The announcement will be made soon,” said Sibanda.

It is just three months before the nation plunges into battle for a ticket to represent the nation in the Cameroun 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and Zifa insists that they are not under any pressure to name Pasuwa’s successor.

Peter Nkomo

“We are aware that Afcon is around the corner and we do not need any specialist to come and tell us that. The only thing that we are concerned with is quality. We do not want to mess up things by just rushing to appoint anyone.

“We are not under any kind of pressure at all. It is like a game of football and the best example could be the Dynamos Caps United match in which one team was beaten 3-0 by the 83rd minute and they manage to come from behind to level terms. All you need is patience and focus,” he said.

Joe Antipas

Queried on the prospects of Zifa hiring a foreign coach ahead of local coaches, Sibanda said: “It is obvious we have to prioritise local coaches because the record speaks for itself. We have been to Africa Cup of Nations three times and in all those three we have had local coaches.

“So who are we to go for a foreign coach first when we have such a record for local coaches?”

As the search for Pasuwa’s successor goes ahead in earnest, a number of names are being thrown into the fray with former Chicken Inn gaffer Joey Antipas linked to the job.

The Warriors job officially became vacant following the expiry of Pasuwa’s contract with Zifa.

However, media reports indicate that Zifa, who have always expressed a deep admiration for the former Caps United coach, have the gaffer on their radar again.

Antipas was once tipped to replace the former Dynamos gaffer in 2015 when Pasuwa was briefly relieved of his duties by Zifa after the contract talks between the two parties collapsed.

But following a public outcry, the coach was immediately reinstated.

Antipas was still with Chicken Inn.

The former Motor Action coach is now attached at South African Division One side Amazulu. Other media reports have it that the association’s wish list also had Ngezi Platinum coach Tonderai Ndiraya as Antipas’s assistant with Highlanders legend Peter “Captain Oxo” Nkomo coming in as the goalkeepers’ coach.

However, some still claim that Zifa are still pursuing the route of hiring an expatriate coach.

Despite having challenges paying Pasuwa’s salary before the intervention of a well-wisher, the cash strapped organisation are said not to be shying away from engaging a foreign coach, an allegation Sibanda denied.

Former Warriors goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar has come out in the open to declare he is interested in the national team’s coach job. He has even engaged Zifa.

The former Liverpool goalkeeper, who is based in Canada, is keen on a full-time coaching job in Africa and another dance with his Warriors has been charming him.

He is also in the running for the Flames job in Malawi although his first priority will be coaching his national team.

According to reports in Malawi, Grobbelaar is among a list of five foreign coaches that have applied to coach the Flames. Pasuwa, former Warriors coach Ian Gorowa, former Zambia coach Honour Janza and Paolo Duarte are some of the expatriate coaches seeking to replace Ernest Mtawali. However, Pasuwa is believed to have emerged as the favourite to land the job.

Meanwhile, Pasuwa finally handed over the keys for the car which he was using and was donated by Harare businessman Wicknell Chivayo. Zifa are also battling to recover another Toyota vehicle which was being used by Mighty Warriors gaffer Shadreck Mlauzi.

That car was also bought by Chivayo.

Chiyangwa promised to look into the issue of his outstanding dues. There has been confusion on the status of the Toyota D4D vehicles which Chivayo acquired as a brand new car as part of his support for the Warriors.

Mlauzi, a teacher by profession, is holding on to the car insisting the Association owe him his dues. But Zifa have hit back saying that they don’t have a contract with the coach who was also relieved of his duties.

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