Confirmed, Rahman Gumbo is in charge

NORMAN MAPEZA'S tenure as Warriors coach virtually ended yesterday when the Zifa board resolved to maintain the interim set-up in which Rahman Gumbo will be in charge, with the FC Platinum mentor taking control at least until August.

The Zifa board met in the capital for a marathon indaba yesterday where all but two members â€" Women's Football boss Mavis Gumbo and board member competitions Benedict Moyo â€" were conspicuous by their absence.

Gumbo and Moyo are with the Young Mighty Warriors for a Fifa Under-20 World Cup qualifier in Nigeria.

Although intensive debate on the national teams' appointments was deferred to a later date because of Moyo's absence, it was however  clear from yesterday's indaba that Mapeza will not take charge of the Warriors at least until a friendly match slated for August.

But with Zifa understood to be seriously considering sticking with the same coach for each campaign ostensibly to avoid the 2010 scenario when Mapeza, Tom Saintfiet and Madinda Ndlovu took turns to coach the team, it is highly unlikely now that Gumbo will be dumped after taking charge of the 2013 African Cup of Nations first round qualifying assignment and the opening two games of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Guinea and Mozambique.

Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze emerged from the indaba to reveal that although the board had deferred much of the debate on the national teams, they had resolved to "maintain the status quo in the Warriors" which means Gumbo will now preside over the games against Guinea, Mozambique and Burundi.

Gumbo had initially been given a once-off assignment â€" the Nations Cup first round, first leg qualifier against Burundi, which the Warriors lost 2-1 in Bujumbura on February 29.

But once Gumbo availed himself for a further dance with the Warriors, it seemed to have cleared the oath for Zifa to extend his tenure and yesterday the full board meeting for the first time on the issue gave their thumbs up to the former Highlanders mentor's extended tenure.

Zifa's decision yesterday effectively closed the door on an early Mapeza, if at all, return to the fold as the board is unlikely to dump Gumbo should he overcome Burundi and await the draw for the final Nations Cup qualifying round slated for September and October.

Mashingaidze √ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨" while acknowledging that Zifa still had a contract with Mapeza √ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨" also cited the technicality of the fact that the former Monomotapa coach was also still to be cleared by the Justice Ebrahim Independent Asiagate Ethics committee.