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Blessing Malinganiza
BOSNIAN-AUSTRALIAN coach, Amir Alagic has expressed interest in the Warriors job and claims to have the best strategy for the team.
The Zifa Normalisation Committee says they do not have a shortlist of candidates for the job but Zimpapers Sport can reveal that the 63-year-old Amir, who holds a UEFA Pro coaching licence and has experience in coaching national teams, is one of the applicants for the Warriors job.
He is also part of the Global Football Development program which is run by the former Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger.
Amir says the Wenger connection will be good for Zimbabwean football as a whole in terms of developing players at junior level and also infrastructure.
“I have participated in building national teams from scratches (Brunei, Sri Lanka), and rebuilding a national team (Bosnia-post war). I already managed similar situations like Zimbabwe is facing now.
“I am able to implement the best strategy for Zimbabwe immediately. I focus on cohesion, consistency, adaptability, intensity, responsibility, discipline, dedication and efficiency as the building blocks to my development plans.
“The coaching skills helps you in an optimal environment. Zimbabwe is not yet at such level. That’s why, having related experience and knowing how to rebuild a system that declined for a long period is what sets me a part of the others for such hard work,” he said.
He added:
“So far, I coached in Libya only. However, I coached many African players (Ghana, Nigeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, and Morocco) in the past.
“Played twice with Sri Lanka against Seychelles. Several times, I was close to coach some clubs and national teams from Africa.
“Didn’t go through due to better offers from other sides at particular time. I am following African football for a long time as a part of my coaching profession.” He says his vision is to make a winning and respected football team.
“My mission is to reinforce its dominance in Africa. Development strategy is about three immediate steps: selecting the team and staff, training camp overseas with friendly matches, and regulating status of the national team.
“We need to maximise FIFA resources, develop a distinct football DNA and team’s identity, embrace sports science practices, empower local coaches, specific player-centred training, leverage diaspora talent, effectively track and map talent and help local football to grow using the national team as a brand.
“Ultimate goals are to improve the team’s FIFA Ranking and making strong U21 national team.”
He added:
“A lot of valuable time is lost due to recent suspension by FIFA. Momentum has been lost. Some key players have been lost. A lot to be done in a short period ahead.
“The team creation would start from zero. I had a similar work in Sri Lanka. As a result, the short-term action plan must be robust and prompt.
“The strategy would be to set fundamentals while forming the team to compete at its best in the near future. Everyone involved, in and around the national team, has an important part to play.”
At the club level, he won the Championship and Cup in Brunei in 2004, Shield Cup in Maldives in 2015, Bundesliga Runner up in 2017 among other medals.
He was honoured by Wenger, now FIFA Football Development Chief, for his contribution of football development in Sri Lanka and the world.
Online Reporter