It’s over for Mapeza

mentor taking control at least until August.
The Zifa board met in the capital for a marathon indaba yesterday where all but two members — Women’s Football boss Mavis Gumbo and board member competitions Benedict Moyo — were conspicuous by their absence.
Gumbo and Moyo are with the Young Mighty Warriors for a Fifa Under-20 World Cup qualifier in Nigeria.
Although intensive debate on the national teams’ appointments was deferred to a later date because of Moyo’s absence, it was however  clear from yesterday’s indaba that Mapeza will not take charge of the Warriors at least until a friendly match slated for August.
But with Zifa understood to be seriously considering sticking with the same coach for each campaign ostensibly to avoid the 2010 scenario when Mapeza, Tom Saintfiet and Madinda Ndlovu took turns to coach the team, it is highly unlikely now that Gumbo will be dumped after taking charge of the 2013 African Cup of Nations first round qualifying assignment and the opening two games of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Guinea and Mozambique.
Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze emerged from the indaba to reveal that although the board had deferred much of the debate on the national teams, they had resolved to “maintain the status quo in the Warriors” which means Gumbo will now preside over the games against Guinea, Mozambique and Burundi.
Gumbo had initially been given a once-off assignment — the Nations Cup first round, first leg qualifier against Burundi, which the Warriors lost 2-1 in Bujumbura on February 29.
But once Gumbo availed himself for a further dance with the Warriors, it seemed to have cleared the oath for Zifa to extend his tenure and yesterday the full board meeting for the first time on the issue gave their thumbs up to the former Highlanders mentor’s extended tenure.
Zifa’s decision yesterday effectively closed the door on an early Mapeza, if at all, return to the fold as the board is unlikely to dump Gumbo should he overcome Burundi and await the draw for the final Nations Cup qualifying round slated for September and October.
Mashingaidze — while acknowledging that Zifa still had a contract with Mapeza — also cited the technicality of the fact that the former Monomotapa coach was also still to be cleared by the Justice Ebrahim Independent Asiagate Ethics committee.
“On the national teams’ appointments the board deferred debate on the technical report but resolved that the status quo (with Gumbo in charge) obtains.
“Yes, Mapeza has a contract but Zifa is a going concern and needs to continue operating. We cannot be stalled by house-keeping issues like that of a contract and the work being done by the Justice Ebrahim committee.
“That committee’s job is work in progress and it is out of our control at the moment but we still have to make a plan for the start of the 2014 World Cup campaign and the conclusion of the 2013 AFCON first round qualifier against Burundi.
“We don’t want to wallow in the Asiagate matrix when the World Cup and Nations Cup campaigns are so near.
“Once the Ebrahim committee has dealt with the issue we also believe that some of the players will be available for national duty and it will be up to the coach to pick those he wants.
“We also want to maximise on the European and South African off-season and afford the national team a longer training camp before their first game on 3 June,” Mashingaidze said.
The Warriors will kick-start their bid for a place at the 2014 World Cup with a home date against Guinea on June 3 before they travel to Mozambique on June 10.
They will remain in camp to face Burundi in the Nations Cup, first round return leg on June 24, after which they will break and regroup for a friendly on a Fifa date in August.
Given that schedule, Zifa are unlikely to change coaches in mid-stream and bring in Mapeza if sentiment from the association’s corridors of power is anything to go by.
The Zifa belief literally ends Mapeza’s tumultuous reign as coach, which included the drama of having to be named co-coach of the team with Madinda following the Saintfiet saga.