Warriors coach Logarusic fired

ZIFA has finally bowed down to pressure from local football fans after announcing the sacking of Croatian coach Zdravko Logarusic.

The decision to sack Logarusic was confirmed after a meeting of the ZIFA executive committee in Harare on Sunday.

In a statement, ZIFA spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela revealed that the football association's board unanimously agreed that Logarusic's tenure as Warriors coach was now untenable.

The ZIFA board also resolved to disband the entire Warriors technical team which also included assistants Lloyd Chitembwe, Tonderayi Ndiraya and the recently appointed former Warriors captain Benjani Mwaruwari.

"The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) would like to inform the football fraternity and the nation at large that it has amicably parted ways with Senior Men's team coach Zdravko Logarusic," Gwesela said.

"The decision was arrived at upon consideration by the full Executive Committee of all the various relevant circumstances pertaining to the coach's contract. The entire technical team has also been disbanded."

ZIFA said its technical development committee has tasked in scouting for an interim coach to take charge of the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers while a substantive coach is being sought after.

"The appointment of the interim technical team shall be announced in due course as the Executive Committee has already set in motion the process."

Logarusic has presided over probably the worst run by the Warriors winning just one in fourteen attempts, managing five draws and eight defeats since his appointment in January last year.

Although he helped Zimbabwe qualify for the rescheduled AFCON finals to be held in Cameroon early next year, the foundation for the team's qualification was laid by Joey Antipas, who took charge of the team's first two matches and collected four points.

With Logarusic in charge the Warriors were knocked out in the first round of both the African Nations Championship (Chan) and the COSAFA Cup.

Despite the poor results, ZIFA stubbornly backed him to turn around the situation but the decision backfired.

Zifa's failure to decisively deal with the Loga issue is the main reason, the Warriors are almost out of the reckoning for a place at next year's World Cup in Qatar.

Zimbabwe anchor Group G standings with just one point from the first two games and were on the receiving end the last time out, away to minnows Ethiopia.

After Logarusic's departure, ZIFA are likely to appoint a local coach to take over the team's coaching duties.

Former Warriors goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar recently expressed his desire to take up the job but FC Platinum boss Norman Mapeza is the fans' favourite after his previous success with the national side.