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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter
INTERIM Warriors coach Jairos Tapera and his assistant Saul Chaminuka have a phone call from an unlikely source, com-ing two years apart, to thank for bringing them back into the dugout.
Tapera has been handed the mandate to lead the national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and South Africa in South Africa early next month.
He will also carry the torch for the squad in the COSAFA tournament to follow weeks later in the same country.
The Manica Diamonds coach, whose team led the Premier Soccer League standings after 14 match days, was appointed to hold the fort by the ZIFA Normalisation Committee last week with GreenFuel mentor Chaminuka named as one of his deputies.
Ngezi Platinum Stars coach Takesure Chiragwi is the other assistant while Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa is the technical advisor.
Zimbabwe face Lesotho at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on June 7 in a match they will be the home team before they travel 395km further down to Bloemfontein where they clash against South Africa at Free State Stadium four days later.
And all eyes will be on how Tapera, who has never been in the senior squad structures before, will navigate through the hurdles.
While he has turned Manica Diamonds around after a difficult start to the season, Tapera had virtually sunk into oblivion only three years ago following his divorce with TelOne two years earlier.
Chaminuka, whose highest point remains his forgettable final-day-of-the-season capitulation at the helm of ZPC Kariba in 2014, has built a solid resume leading newsboys Bikita Minerals early in the season before being poached by GreenFuel where he had a promising start.
But, just like Tapera, Chaminuka’s coaching career looked like history before it came back on track last season.
The two coaches were both given new leases of life by relegated Black Rhinos with Tapera being called in to manage the army team in 2021 when TelOne coach Herbert “Jompano” Maruwa was still the coach.
“I received a call from Black Rhinos chairman Colonel Edward Mutukwa when I was in my rural home in Gokwe,” said Tapera.
“I had not entirely left the game. I was still in the game but I had spent some time on the sidelines. So, he asked me to travel to Harare and become the Black Rhinos manager.”
The veteran coach took the offer and together with Maruwa and club legend Stanford “Stix” Mutizwa, who was the chief scout, transformed the Rhinos into a huge force.
Triangle took notice and hired Tapera, who helped to lift the Lowveld outfit from relegation risk before Manica Diamonds jumped onto his services.
Likewise, Chaminuka had literally been forgotten in the trenches of local football before seasoned administrator, Mutukwa reached out to him as he sought to desperately save the Rhinos from sinking in the middle of last season’s campaign.
“I have never doubted the capacity of coaches Tapera and Chaminuka. When we were looking for a manager in 2021, I didn’t have to think too hard as I knew Tapera was not attached anywhere. So, I just called him and the rest is history,” said Mutukwa.
“Last season, we didn’t have an ideal team in the top-flight. We were scratching our heads as we sought to add depth to our technical department.
“I just remembered that I once worked with Saul Chaminuka when I was the manager at Buffaloes some time ago.
“He was showing great character and I just decided to look for him.
“He was at his farm in Chivhu and he promptly responded. It was too late for us to cover the lost ground but Chaminuka just showed us what he could deliver and that paved the way for him to sign for Bikita Minerals.”
Mutukwa added that he had confidence in the trio of Tapera, Chaminuka, and Chiragwi to drive the Warriors, despite their late appointments.
“Like I said, I believe in these coaches. I think this is their chance to show what they can do.
“Of course, the assignments in front of them are not easy but I believe they will do well,” he said.
Zimbabwe have two points from as many games following their stalemates against Rwanda (0-0) and Nigeria (1-1) last year.
They should punch harder to remain in contention for the sole ticket from the six-team Group C.
The 2026 World Cup will be jointly staged by Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America.
Benin are the other team in Group C.
Online Reporter