Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
FORMER Warriors captain Willard Katsande said he accepted the Rangers job to experience the challenge that comes with top competition in the Northern Region Soccer League.
The Kaizer Chiefs legend will start his coaching journey after he was appointed Rangers coach, who will officially unveil him at a press conference in Chinhoyi today.
Speaking just after landing in Harare from his base in South Africa yesterday, Katsande said the bruising battles often witnessed in the NRSL are the ones which he primarily considered before accepting a move to Chinhoyi which was facilitated by his agency, Keiz Sports Management.
He said: “I am very happy to be back home. Look, I know the competitiveness in which the NRSL is involved every season. In 2024, it was Scottland and MWOS, and last year there was Agama and N’ombeyawora.
“Basically, every team in this league is competitive and I thought this was an ideal platform for me to also learn from the fierce competition always associated with this league.
“But it’s always good to be back home and also to be trusted with this kind of responsibility.
“I think it’s about making things happen for Rangers that matters most at this moment.”
Katsande is a CAF C Coaching License holder and is scheduled to undergo training for the CAF B badge at the end of the year.
He said he wants to make the most out of the opportunity he has right now to improve his resume, as his ultimate aim is to grow and one day be considered for the Warriors job.
“I think the most important thing is to start. I just want to be brutally direct and honest. My dream is to coach the national team, but I need to start somewhere.
“And my short-term goal is to serve Rangers and to gain promotion. And you know when you get to PSL, people start seeing who you are, what kind of coaching, your methods, and so forth and so forth. But the bottom line for me, I don’t know when, but I need to coach the national team.
“I need to give back to my family, community, because I am a legend. I am a legend of my national team. Without my national team, I wouldn’t have been where I am today.
“I have made myself available for this job and I would like to salute Rangers for trusting me with this responsibility. I am here to learn and get things done,” said Katsande.
“I am extremely happy and as someone who has played in South Africa, I am sure I will be able to identify and mould players good enough to reach the level that I played or even surpass it.
“That is also my aim here. I want to improve the Rangers and take them where they want to go.”
Keiz Sports Management director Kudakwashe Garufu who pulled up the move said:
“We have been working together with Rangers for a long time.
“As Keiz Sports Management we have previously given Rangers talented stars and when the idea of bringing Katsande to Rangers was mooted, the process was just easy.”
