We want Rush: Zifa

Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) official, Benedict Moyo has said that two of his colleagues have been tasked with negotiating with Gumbo. The men given the job of trying to lure the coach away from his Botswana base are ZIFA president, Cuthbert Dube and his vice, Ndumiso Gumede. "Yes it is true that we are looking at appointing a new coach and Rahman (Gumbo) is one of the candidates we are targeting. He has a high success rate in terms of performance so we believe he could be the right man for the job," Moyo told reporters yesterday.
The Warriors have been without a substantive coach after Sunday Chidzambwa quit to join South Africa's Free State Stars last year. ZIFA's efforts to replace Chidzambwa with former Namibia coach, Tom Saintfiet late last year hit a snag after the Belgian failed to get a work permit. The association courted United States-based coach Charles Mhlauri but his financial demands proved too much. The development leaves Gumbo as the front-runner for the Warriors' hot seat he occupied before his unceremonious sacking in 2005.
Former Township Rollers, Nico United and Motlakase coach, Madinda Ndlovu is the Warriors' caretaker coach.
Ndlovu led the Warriors to the CHAN finals in Sudan recently but the team performed badly heightening calls for his dismissal. ZIFA responded to the calls by preparing a bid for Gumbo, who confirmed that he is aware of the association's interest although he is yet to get an offer. "I have heard about ZIFA's interest in my services but I am not able to comment right now because there is nothing tangible," he said.
The former Township Rollers coach may find it difficult to turn down ZIFA following reports that Mhlauri had been offered a monthly salary of $10,000 (approximately P65,000) for the Warriors' job.
The Warriors face Mali in a crucial 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on March 25 in Bamako and Moyo said that ZIFA is keen to appoint a coach before the tie. "Our preparations for the remaining AFCON games are behind and we are looking at all factors, so we want a coach as soon as possible," he said.
Gumbo is considered the second most successful coach in Zimbabwe having won four league titles in three different countries. He won two league titles with Highlanders (Zimbabwe), MTL Wanderers (Malawi) and Rollers last season.
He was part of the Warriors technical team that took Zimbabwe to its first AFCON in Tunisia in 2004.
After the tournament, he was appointed head coach of the national team before getting the boot in 2005 following a 3-0 drubbing by Nigeria.