Brito wants Warriors job

HIGHLANDERS gaffer Blatermar Brito has joined the growing band of foreign coaches, who have set their sights on the vacant Warriors job.

Despite the Normalisation Committee that is running the affairs of ZIFA still to speak about their on-going recruitment drive for coaches of various national teams, Brito has thrown his name into the hat.

The Portuguese revealed at a press conference yesterday that his former boss Jose Mourinho has urged him to grab the challenge of coaching the Zimbabwe senior soccer team with both hands, should the opportunity arise.

The allure of the Warriors' coaching role has transcended the country's borders, capturing the attention and interest of individuals across the globe. This surge of interest followed the announcement by Lincoln Mutasa's Normalisation Committee that they would appoint national coaches for all the senior and junior national teams.

The Normalisation Committee set August 11 as the deadline by which those interested had to submit their applications.

Brito has so far endeared himself with the Highlanders fans after guiding the Bulawayo giants to a 19-match unbeaten run in the Premiership and Chibuku Super Cup competitions. Bosso are the only team in the 18-team Premiership still to taste defeat.

Brito used the occasion of his weekly media briefing in Bulawayo yesterday to reveal his interests in the Warriors job.

"I came here with an open mind and open heart to work seriously, to try to improve the club, Highlanders and football in general, giving my opinion, giving my suggestions, connecting with other coaches, connecting with other people and even connecting with the fans, the supporters and citizens in general.

"Not only Highlanders fans, we never reject, for example, a picture with a guy from another club because we are here and we like to be in Zimbabwe and being connected and linked with this possibility (Warriors job), for me, makes me proud because the best club in the country is the national team," Brito said.

He added that coaching or playing for the national team was the ultimate stage in one's career.

"We are in one big club, one good club but the best club in the country is the national team and everyone should be proud of playing for the national team or just even supporting the nation-al team because it is our roots, our identity.

"So, Zimbabwe, I like to be here, I feel better attached to Zimbabwean culture so if I am linked with it, I'm so proud because when I go to Portugal, you guys can be sure that if anyone asks me what I'm coaching, I answer with pride that Zimbabwe." Flanked by his assistant coach Antonio Torres, Brito said their manager was handling the bid for the Warriors post.

"So we (as individuals) didn't apply but we know that our manager did, because our manager cares about our future, we have only four more months of contract at Highlanders.

"We know that our manager applied for this job, for the Warriors job and even this week (last week), I received a call from Jose Mourinho because he read something about the possibility of me being one of the next Warriors coach and he gave me the support and he gave me the power to accept the challenge if it comes," he said.

With Highlanders seemingly taking time to play ball Brito said they remain focused but they are now thinking of their next destination.

"We are focused here (Highlanders), we have four more months of contract and as players, we need to start thinking about our future because in four months, we don't know the future, we don't know if Highlanders will renew the contract or not, there are too many doubts in the air so we need to look around."

Brito is a UEFA Pro coaching licence holder with vast experience, having worked as Mourinho's assistant at FC Porto in Portugal, Chelsea in England, and Inter Milan in Italy.

During that spell, he won two UEFA Champions League titles, one UEFA Cup, two English Premier League titles, as many Portuguese and Italian Championships, and one FA Cup.

While he has cast one eye on the Warriors post, it has not been lost on Brito that he has to continue guiding Highlanders in their quest to end a 17-year wait for the championship tile. On Sunday Bosso will resume their league duties with a cagey home assignment against lowly Black Rhinos at Barbourfields and Brito said they will underestimate their opponents.

"Of course, it will not be an easy game. They (Black Rhinos) seem to be so motivated to beat us but they will find us in a good match mood which we will always want to cope with.

"They will try to come and win it and we are also going to do so. We will not read much into the log standings we will take it as if we are all at zero".