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ZIFA have set themselves a May 25 deadline to appoint the next Warriors coach.
The man will have two assignments waiting for him early next month when Zimbabwe plays host to Lesotho at Johannesburg’s Orlando Stadium and an away match against Bafana Bafana at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
The national association confirmed through a statement to questions sent by the Zimpapers Sports Hub yesterday that by May 25, the winning candidate will be public knowledge.
In the statement, the Normalisation Committee said they had set themselves a clear time-line for the exercise of identifying a substantive coach for the Warriors.
Baltemar Brito, Highlanders’ coach from 2022 to the end of last year was in charge when the Warriors played the opening rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers draws against Rwanda (1-1) and Nigeria (0-0) last year.
Norman Mapeza took charge when the team participated in a four-team tournament in Malawi.
“The Normalisation Committee has set a clear time-line for the appointment process. They have indicated that the new national team coach will be officially announced by the 25th of May, 2024,” read the statement.
“This date has been chosen to allow sufficient time for a thorough evaluation process, ensuring that the selected candidate is the best possible choice to lead the team.”
Asked who forms the team tasked with identifying the national coach, Zifa responded:
“The responsibility of appointing the new national team coach lies with the Normalisation Committee. They are the appointing authority, tasked with overseeing the selection process, from reviewing applications to conducting interviews and ultimately making the final decision.” The selection process is underway with numerous applications received.
“The process of appointing a new national team coach is well underway. The Normalisation Committee has received numerous applications from a diverse pool of candidates.
“Currently, the committee is meticulously evaluating each application to ensure the selection of the most qualified and suitable candidate for the role. This thorough assessment involves reviewing the applicants’ coaching experiences, qualifications, and vision for the team’s future,” further read the Zifa statement.
Zifa could not be drawn into disclosing the names of those who have been short-listed for the job.
“At this moment, the process of short-listing candidates is still ongoing. The Normalisation Committee is diligently working through the applications to narrow down the list to the most promising candidates. This involves a comprehensive review and, in some cases, preliminary interviews to better understand each candidate’s potential to lead the national team.”
Online Reporter