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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS coach, Zdravko Logarusic, says the recent changes in the Bafana Bafana coaching structures could make them the biggest threat in their 2022 World Cup qualifying group.
Loga’s men will take on South Africa, Ghana and Ethiopia in their group with top place earning them a slot in the final qualifying phase for a place in Qatar, next year.
The late Reinhard Fabisch and his Dream Team reached this final phase, of the ’94 World Cup qualifiers, after topping their group, which featured the Pharaohs of Egypt.
However, the Dream Team finally came short in the three-team battle for a place at the World Cup finals in the United States, after being edged by the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
Loga wants to take his men on a similar adventure with a fairytale ending in which they will book their place at the 2022 World Cup finals.
Many analysts believe Ghana’s Black Stars are the group favourites but Loga, who has worked in the West African country before, feels Bafana Bafana could even pose a bigger threat.
The coach said the changes, which saw Hugo Broos being named the new South African head coach, could galvanise Bafana Bafana.
“I think it is South Africa, whom we need to follow closely,” said Loga.
“They have brought in a new coach and who knows?
“The new coach might bring with him, new players, and a new style of play. Yet, we have been following their previous games, under a different coach.
“So, this means all that information we had about them will have to be put aside. Usually, when a new coach comes in, everything is new.
“They play Uganda tomorrow (today) so we have to, by all means, watch that game.
“We will try to follow all the games, as much as we can, with the help of the two match analysts that we have with us.”
The coach said he did not watch the friendly match between Ghana, the other group members, and Morocco, in Rabat, on Tuesday night.
The Black Stars lost the match 0-1.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to watch the match between Ghana and Morocco live but I was following up every detail,” said Loga.
“I have asked my friends in Ghana to send me the video of the match and the highlights. We will have to watch and analyse every detail.
“I have also watched some of their recent games in the 2021 AFCON qualifiers.”
Loga will also closely follow the Black Stars match against Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday.
The Warriors will play South Africa at home, in their first World Cup qualifier group game, in the second round of the qualifiers, in September.
They will then travel to Ethiopia before engaging Ghana in back-to-back encounters later in the year.
Loga returned to Zimbabwe last week, after an extended stay in his home country Croatia, to start monitoring the activities of the events in the local Premiership.
“I was in Croatia a bit longer because there was nothing much to do on the ground here, because of the Covid-19 restrictions, on the game,” he said.
“I was working from there, I wasn’t just seated.
“For your own information, it is easier to observe the players in France, Turkey, Belgium and other European countries, while in Croatia, because you can switch to many channels.
“Here we only have to rely on SuperSport but they don’t give wider coverage to other European leagues, where our players are playing.
“In the future, I hope to travel to these countries, personally, to see and engage these players. But, for now, I am back here.
“The local league has started and I have made an effort to watch all the games in the Chibuku Super Cup.”
He is set to travel around the country, where the Chibuku Super Cup matches are being played, to meet with the coaches involved in the tournament.
Yesterday, he met the Harare-based coaches of Group Three — Hebert Maruwa and Nesbert Saruchera — for a frank exchange of ideas.
He had similar engagements, the previous day, with Dynamos gaffer Tonderai Ndiraya, Harare City’s Lloyd Chitembwe, Yadah Stars coach Genesis Mangombe, Herentals’ Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva and CAPS United gaffer Darlington Dodo.
“I have managed to engage coaches here in Harare and afterwards I am going to Bulawayo, and the other cities, to see the players and also talk to the coaches,” he said.
“There are so many obligations to be done, in a short space of time, we have to finish the selection of the COSAFA Cup, coming up next month.
“We have to plan for the World Cup qualifiers, we have to finish selection of the squad for the AFCON finals and next year’s CHAN qualifying squads.
“We might not have the opportunity to work on the CHAN squad next year since we will be at AFCON between January and February, so, it has to be done now.
“We have the COSAFA Cup coming up next month and, as I have said, I will not play six to eight of our best players, who we already know their quality.
“It’s an opportunity for the local guys and we have to extend to the others in Zambia, and South Africa, as well.
“We might have trouble getting some from Europe that we may have wanted to see because this tournament does not fall under the FIFA calendar.”
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