Grobbelaar, Mangombe fume at ZIFA

Zimpapers Sports Hub

LOCAL coaches who applied for the Warriors coaching job are fuming at the ZIFA Normalisation Committee for overlooking them in favour of a foreigner, whose qualifications and experience are not out of the ordinary.

On Tuesday, Lincoln Mutasa’s Normalisation Committee appointed German Michael Nees for the senior national team job.

Nees was handed a two-year deal, with his package valued at US$150 000 per annum, fully funded by the world football governing body, FIFA.

It is not yet clear if he will get locals as his assistants or he will bring them from elsewhere.

Seven Zimbabwean coaches — Genesis Mangombe, Bruce Grobbelaar, Saul Chaminuka, Taurai Mangwiro, Thulani Sibanda, Takesure Chiragwi and George Mbwando — applied for the Warriors post.

Apart from Nees, other foreign coaches on the ZIFA shortlist were Brazilian Marcio Maximo Barcellos, Spaniard Gerard Nus and Nees’ German compatriots Antoine Hey and Winfried Schafer.

While vast knowledge of African football was one of the key requirements for the Warriors job, Nees’ CV shows that he has a combined two years in charge of the continent’s African national teams — Seychelles between 2003 and 2004 and Rwanda (2006-2007).

The German spent a year between 2008 and 2009 working as a coach educator for the South African Football Association.

Two of the disgruntled local coaches, Mangombe and Grobbelaar, have questioned the criteria used in appointing Nees.

Mangombe felt Zimbabwe had capable coaches, some of whom were vibrant and prepared to work under difficult conditions, yet they continued to be overlooked for the national team.

“The selection criteria used, we don’t even understand it, because locally, we have good coaches; coaches who are young and prepared to work under difficult conditions,” he said.

“So, I do not see the reason why those coaches are ignored.”

At 41, Mangombe is one of the emerging coaches in the local Premiership.

Takesure Chiragwi, who turned 40 last December, a few weeks after guiding Ngezi Platinum Stars to their maiden PSL championship, is another young gaffer who is slowly earning his stripes.

Simba Bhora’s Tonderai Ndiraya, who turns 47 in September, is also highly regarded, as are Ngezi Platinum Stars assistant coach Kumbirai Mutiwekuziwa and TelOne’s Hebert Maruwa.

“I think it’s always important not to use emotions when selecting coaches for these important posts, let’s just use the right criteria and also give the job to the most qualified candidate,” said Mangombe.

“African football is not easy. One needs time to adapt to the system and players. But we really appreciate it when foreign coaches bring us modern trends, but this has to be done above board.

“In the end, we have to rally behind those who are appointed because this is our national team, our number one team. We just pray that people will be patient with the coach and give him time to instal his own philosophy.”

Former Warriors goalkeeper Grobbelaar believed he was the best person to lead the Warriors, saying the selection of foreign coaches was not in the best interest of the country.

He told our sister publication, Manica Post, last week: “Look, man, I was the best person to take charge of the Warriors right now because this is my country, and everything I do comes from the bottom of my heart, and that desire to take my country forward.

“These foreign coaches are in it for the money! After two years, they walk away with cash, and never bother to revise their work.”

The European Champions League winner with Liverpool in the 1980s said he had already assembled a team to take Zimbabwean soccer forward.

There were high expectations that Grobbelaar, who visited the country in March this year, would land the coveted job.

During his visit, he met Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Minister Kirsty Coventry, officials from the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) and ZIFA, including Mutasa.

“Mutasa is a gentleman, but his hands are tied. There are so many cooks in the kitchen and they confuse him. I still believe they will allow him to run the show, and appoint me instead of foreign coaches,” he said.

“I also met Minister Coventry, and I laid out my ambition to coach Zimbabwe. I have people who can help us to refurbish the National Sports Stadium in the shortest possible time at a low cost so that we can host our matches at home.”

Although he did not apply for the Warriors job, Highlanders legend Douglas “British” Mloyi said he expected a local coach would be given the task of leading the national team.

“To tell the truth, I was surprised,” he said. “I thought that a local guy would get the job, but I don’t know how this will turn out (AFCON and World Cup Qualifiers). It will all depend on Nees, how good he is and the availability of good players to produce good results.

“We should not rely heavily on the coach. If you look at Fabisch, he was clever, he toured the nation, scouting for players and things went well during his time.”

Former Warriors, Amazulu, How Mine, Bantu Rovers and Legia Warsaw defender Hebert Dick, who also did not apply, said he did not know Nees until his name was featured on the ZIFA shortlist. He said the coach could produce results if given enough support.

“To be honest, I don’t know much about the guy, that’s the truth,” he said.

“I just learnt about him now, but I am sure, with good administration, he will give us results. He has been coaching for some time and all we need to do is to support him. We need to give him the resources he needs to take the Warriors forward.”

ZIFA have often turned to local coaches like Sunday Chidzambwa, Norman Mapeza, Kalisto Pasuwa and Joey Antipas only when they are in a coaching crisis.

Interestingly, the Warriors have enjoyed most of their success stories with a local coach in charge.

Chidzambwa took Zimbabwe to their maiden Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2004, before Charles Mhlauri repeated the feat in 2006.

Pasuwa led the Warriors to their third appearance, guiding them to the 2017 finals in Gabon.

Chidzambwa was to make a sensational return and take charge of the Warriors as they secured their fourth appearance at the 2019 jamboree in Egypt.

Mapeza took charge of the early games during the 2019 qualifiers and was also in charge at the 2021 AFCON finals in Cameroon.

All these coaches are still owed hundreds of thousands of United States dollars by the national association.

Before Nees’ appointment, ZIFA’s Normalisation Committee used Baltermar Brito, who was on Highlanders books, FC Platinum’s Mapeza and Jairos Tapera of Manica Diamonds.

Largely because of the FIFA influence, the Normalisation Committee gave Nees a two-year contract, which will go beyond their own tenure that ends in February next year, by which time a substantive ZIFA leadership should have been elected. In the event that the new board decides to appoint their own preferred gaffer, Nees could be set for a massive windfall in severance perks, albeit at the expense of FIFA.

There is a general feeling that the national football association has a tendency of taking advantage of local coaches, whenever a coaching crisis arises.

The coaches are then dumped for foreigners when there is some stability and financial security, as they did when they appointed Croat Zdravko Logarusic, who was in charge between 2020 and 2022.