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Harare Bureau
NEW Warriors coach Ian Gorowa says football is a game judged by results but he will not put himself under pressure when he guides the national team in the African Nations Championships qualifiers in Mauritius on Sunday. The former Black Rhinos forward conducted his first training session at the National Sports Stadium when the team regrouped for the weekend’s tie.
Gorowa and his lieutenants Callisto Pasuwa, Jairos Tapera and goalkeepers’ coach Richard Tswatswa took the players through their paces in the morning and in the evening.
The new coaches tried to maximise on the single day of training and the evening session around 6pm.
Gorowa said his immediate goal is to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
But the short term goal would be qualifying for next year’s Chan finals in South Africa in January.
“Every coach has his own way of doing things. The tiki taka football is good but should be complemented by good results. As a national team coach you are judged by results. We have to look at the whole rebuilding exercise. Zambia are the Cosafa champions but I don’t think they played better than Zimbabwe.
“We are on a rebuilding exercise and I don’t think there is any pressure. Football is a game of opinion. If you look the majority of the players they played at Cosafa. I have my own opinion and reservations and will always try and improve. The tiki taka type of football is good,” Gorowa said.
The former Black Rhinos and Dynamos forward reckoned that it would be a different environment coaching a national team compared to club level.
“It is a different environment but I don’t see why I shouldn’t adjust. With a club there is always more time unlike the national team. But you just need to understand the culture and it will be easier.
“Obviously the immediate plan is 2015 Afcon. The other thing is to try and build and develop young players to qualify for Chan in South Africa,” said Gorowa.
New faces that did not feature in the Cosafa Cup final were called for the afternoon session and made it into the travelling party.
Dynamos duo of vice-skipper Tawanda Muparati and Augustine Mbara and FC Platinum striker Nelson Maziwisa were the latest players to be called up.
They replaced Ocean Mushure, Ronald Chitiyo, Nicholas Alifandika and Lot Chiunga who have been dropped because of injuries.
Chicken Inn striker Tendai Ndoro who has left for trials with South African Premiership side Wits University has also been replaced.
Harare City goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupanedengu and Monoz’s Nicholas Guyo have become the first victims of the winds of change and have been axed.
The Warriors are scheduled to leave early this morning via Johannesburg before they connect in the afternoon and should arrive in Mauritius around 7pm.
Gorowa said he was excited to be called to lead the national team. He said it would require a lot of work especially on his first national team assignment.
“It is an honour for me and it is a privilege.The team has slightly fallen back and is trying to rebuild so there is a lot of work to be done.
“As a coach number one is that you are judged by the results and number two is to always try to improve the game. Most of the players, I was observing in Zambia and know what to expect.
“There isn’t much time to call on new players and it is better to go with the current team. The good thing is we are starting away and can take that risk”.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns coach also spoke on accepting the Warriors job which has been affected by poor funding.
“It is a challenge. I don’t have in-depth knowledge but as a coach I will always try to improve in terms of approach which should be more to do with football. What I can do is to coach and the rest I won’t get involved,” said Gorowa.
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo