Chronicle Editor
Harare Bureau
WARRIORS’s coach Zdravko Logarusic has already spent five month at his European home away from his work station in Zimbabwe, since beginning work last year.
Currently the coach is back home in Croatia.
This is the third time he has returned home since he was unveiled last year in February.
The Croat, is probably among few coaches if any who enjoy the luxury of leaving their work stations for a prolonged period.
The first time he returned to Europe was last year in mid-July after he had endured 3 and half months of lockdown holed up first at a hotel before he moved in to a rented apartment in Harare.
Then he told our Harare Bureau that inactivity forced him to return back home.
“I live by myself in Zimbabwe, so when I am doing what I am supposed to be doing, I don’t get bored, but now when there are no games and we are not training and there is nothing much I am doing, I start to miss my family and to be with friends around me.
“Unlike most of you in Zimbabwe, you have friends and family to talk to. I had not made many friends by the time Covid-19 came, I came just a month before the coronavirus pandemic,” said Loga.
However, during that same time, Zambian coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevi.
Micho, who was appointed to the Chipolopolo job around same time as Loga said he was staying put in Zambia.
Logarusic spent close to three months only to return home on October 5.
After the Warriors were booted out of the Chan tournament and returned home on February 2, the coach went straight to Croatia.
He was there for about five weeks.
During that time he sorted his passport, while Zifa were also processing his work permit which had expired following the lapse of the one year which he was granted last February.
The coach returned two weeks before the Africa Cup of Nations resumed.
After the Warriors hosted Zambia at the National Sports Stadium on March 29, the expatriate coach left for Europe the same week and is still holed in his native country.
In the absence of international games, the coach could prolong his stay.
Despite the postponement of the World Cup qualifiers, Zifa insist that they are not organising any friendly matches.
The Warriors will have to wait three more months before they embark on the 2022 World Cup journey after the Confederation of African Football postponed the opening qualifiers that were set for June.
Zimbabwe were supposed to begin their campaign against South Africa and Ethiopia next month in Group G but the opening matches will now be played in September.
The Warriors back-to-back clashes with Ghana have been pushed by a month to October while the qualifying campaign will now conclude in March next year, just a few months before the global football jamboree.
But Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said their position hasn’t changed.
“As it stands no friendly matches have been organised,” he said.
Last week, the association said they had shelved plans to play friendly matches.
“Zifa is saddled with preparation for the World Cup qualifiers due in June 2021 against South Africa and Ethiopia as well as senior women’s matches later this year. In the same token, Zifa wishes to inform the nation that it has dropped any plans for the Warriors’ friendly on the advice and request of the technical team, which feels the friendly window dates are too close to the actual qualifiers and may pose challenges such as injuries to key players.
“The Fifa friendly window has been set a few days before the qualifiers. The association is now firmly laying the groundwork for football resumption and has quietly invested a lot towards grassroots, youth and women’s football in 2021 and beyond; details of which shall be announced soon,’’ read the statement.
It is not clear why the mother body has not acted swiftly to the developments and organise a match for the international date.
Online Reporter