News / National
Zifa expected to announce Warriors coach early next year
14 Dec 2010 at 12:23hrs | Views
THE Zifa Board is expected to announce the new national soccer team coach by Christmas this year or by the New Year at the latest, according to the association's acting chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze.
In the meantime, Mashingaidze said, Madinda Ndlovu remains the caretaker coach as Zifa headhunts for the new substantive Warriors coach.
Mashingaidze said yesterday the top hierarchy of the Zifa board is currently deliberating on the short-list of candidates.
"We had hopes that our appeal over Tom (Saintfiet's work permit with the Department of Immigration) will be successful, but as it has turned out it has been rejected.
"There has been a lot of speculation over the candidature of the national team coach but the correct position is that no one has been appointed yet.
"The Zifa presidium, that is the president and the two vice-presidents, are meeting to look at the names and they will inform the board for ratification of the candidate," said Mashingaidze.
Cuthbert Dube is the Zifa president while his two vice presidents are Ndumiso Gumede and Kenny Marange.
In headhunting for a coach, Zifa have changed from the previous format where a Zifa technical team made a controversial appointment of Belgian coach Saintfiet.
The outcome was egg on the association's face after Saintfiet was deported and subsequently denied a work permit by the Department of Immigration.
It is understood that Zifa are considering Charles Mhlauri, Rahman Gumbo, Benjamin Moyo and Madinda Ndlovu. "At the moment we still have an interim technical department which has Madinda Ndlovu as the caretaker coach. He was appointed for the game against Mozambique and he did well. We had also wanted him to take charge for the proposed friendly against Zambia on December 19 but that match has been called off.
"This match was falling outside the Fifa calendar but we had hoped to use it to prepare the team for the CHAN finals. However, we will no longer have it since the Premiership is also ending on the same weekend and having an international match will be a counter-attraction to the league finale.
"Some of the players, who would have been called-up for the international friendly, are also wanted by their teams, so it will not be possible to go ahead with the game.
"But we hope to have a new Warriors coach by Christmas or New Year," Mashingaidze said.
He said after the Zifa board has agreed on the candidate, they will then finalise on the terms of employment with the coach before officially announcing his appointment.
"The hunt for the coach is still on and once he is named, then he will work out his plans for the CHAN finals and the African Cup of Nations ties," said Mashingaidze.
Zimbabwe have been drawn in Group B with South Africa, Niger and Ghana for the CHAN tournament set for Sudan from February 4 to 25, 2011. This is the second time that the Warriors are participating in the competition after playing at the inaugural finals in Cote d' Ivoire last year.
In the meantime, Mashingaidze said, Madinda Ndlovu remains the caretaker coach as Zifa headhunts for the new substantive Warriors coach.
Mashingaidze said yesterday the top hierarchy of the Zifa board is currently deliberating on the short-list of candidates.
"We had hopes that our appeal over Tom (Saintfiet's work permit with the Department of Immigration) will be successful, but as it has turned out it has been rejected.
"There has been a lot of speculation over the candidature of the national team coach but the correct position is that no one has been appointed yet.
"The Zifa presidium, that is the president and the two vice-presidents, are meeting to look at the names and they will inform the board for ratification of the candidate," said Mashingaidze.
Cuthbert Dube is the Zifa president while his two vice presidents are Ndumiso Gumede and Kenny Marange.
In headhunting for a coach, Zifa have changed from the previous format where a Zifa technical team made a controversial appointment of Belgian coach Saintfiet.
The outcome was egg on the association's face after Saintfiet was deported and subsequently denied a work permit by the Department of Immigration.
It is understood that Zifa are considering Charles Mhlauri, Rahman Gumbo, Benjamin Moyo and Madinda Ndlovu. "At the moment we still have an interim technical department which has Madinda Ndlovu as the caretaker coach. He was appointed for the game against Mozambique and he did well. We had also wanted him to take charge for the proposed friendly against Zambia on December 19 but that match has been called off.
"This match was falling outside the Fifa calendar but we had hoped to use it to prepare the team for the CHAN finals. However, we will no longer have it since the Premiership is also ending on the same weekend and having an international match will be a counter-attraction to the league finale.
"Some of the players, who would have been called-up for the international friendly, are also wanted by their teams, so it will not be possible to go ahead with the game.
"But we hope to have a new Warriors coach by Christmas or New Year," Mashingaidze said.
He said after the Zifa board has agreed on the candidate, they will then finalise on the terms of employment with the coach before officially announcing his appointment.
"The hunt for the coach is still on and once he is named, then he will work out his plans for the CHAN finals and the African Cup of Nations ties," said Mashingaidze.
Zimbabwe have been drawn in Group B with South Africa, Niger and Ghana for the CHAN tournament set for Sudan from February 4 to 25, 2011. This is the second time that the Warriors are participating in the competition after playing at the inaugural finals in Cote d' Ivoire last year.
Source - Byo24
