Mapeza bounces back

the for-mer Monomotapa gaffer appointed on a substantive basis to guide the senior team in their 2012 African Cup of Nations campaign.
He returns to the Warriors fold together with the familiar duo of Motor Action’s veteran coach Joey Antipas, who will be his assistant, and hardworking team manager Sharrif Mussa.
Seasoned goalkeepers’ coach Richard Tswatswa is the only survivor from the technical department that took charge of the Warriors during their failed African Nations Championships campaign in Sudan three weeks ago.
But it is the return of Mapeza – a favourite of many of the Warriors faithful – that should put an end to the uncertainty and at times chaotic scenarios that had characterised the national team’s dressing room since Zifa’s botched attempt to recruit Belgian Tom Saintfiet last year.
Zifa president Cuthbert Dube announced the appointment of Mapeza, Antipas, Mussa and Tswatswa and revealed that he had assumed direct charge of the senior side’s technical set-up.
Dube said he had since been in touch with Mapeza who had accepted the appointment and had indicated to him that he enjoyed a good working relationship with Antipas, Mussa and Tswatswa.
The Zifa boss, who earlier held a meeting with his deputy Ndumiso Gumede and board member for finance Elliot Kasu to brief them on the new Warriors’ set-up, said he had, like many football association presidents the world over, decided to take over the responsibility of hiring a national coach.
Dube’s initiative to take direct charge of the Warriors’ appointments also comes as a welcome move after Zifa’s flirtation with a seven-member technical committee made up of board members backfired terribly following the controversy that followed Saintfiet’s appoi-ntment.
There was further chaos in the Warriors dressing room when Madinda Ndlovu and Mapeza took joint charge of the senior side’s Nations Cup qualifier against Cape Verde at the National Sports Stadium, which fizzled into a dull 0-0 draw.
Mapeza then resigned from the Warriors’ set up arguing that he did not want to be a source of divisions within the Zifa board following a 9-2 vote, which went against his appoi-ntment.
Madinda was the tasked with leading Zimbabwe’s second dance with the CHAN tournament, but bowed out at the first hurdle after managing just one win against Ghana in their group matches.
But last night, Mapeza, a former Warriors skipper, was given a fresh mandate to lead the national team and continue with the campaign that he had started promisingly when guiding his team to a brave 1-1 draw against Liberia in Monrovia.
Dube said although Zifa had earlier targeted Charles Mhlauri for the job, the deal to hire the dreadlocked former Warriors and CAPS United coach had fallen through “as the negotiations were taking too long and time was no longer on our side”.
“We would have wanted him but it was taking too long to finalise with Mhlauri yet by Tuesday next week the call up list for the game against Mali should have been drawn up and the secretariat needs to start working on the issuing of the air tickets.
“We also have a friendly match against Na-mibia in Windhoek so we could not continue with negotiations with Charles.
“I have since spoken to Norman and he has agreed to work with the national team together with Joey, Sharrif and Tswatswa.
“Joey and Sharrif are no strangers to the national team.
“I have said that from now on I am going to take direct responsibility of the national team and hence these appointments.
“If we do not succeed let it be my responsibility and if we do succeed then aha, so be it,” Dube said.
Dube also said he had taken note of the concerns raised by some members of his board who were against Mapeza’s appointment to the Warriors on the basis that the young coach was not qualified but had waived that requirement.
“I have waived the issue of qualifications because after Mali we will send the coaches for courses to help them boost their qualifications and also give them more exposure”.
Dube also spoke tough about the need for his board to help maintain a clean image for Zifa by desisting from issuing conflicting and confusing statements on the goings on at the association.
There have been genuine concerns that statements by board members, particularly on the state of the Warriors, some of which sharply contrasted with what Dube would have said, gave a picture of a confused and deeply divided board.
“I don’t want anyone from the board to go the media about these appointments.
“We have had so much damage already because we had so many conflicting and confusing statements with regards the state of the national team sometimes from members who were not even directly involved with what was going on in the team.
“Until we have a communications manager, it is gong to be my responsibility to answer to questions pertaining to such issues like these appointments.
“In any case we are going ahead with the Kariba resolution to restructure Zifa and I have told the employees at the office that anyone is free to apply for the advertised posts and if any of them satisfies the requirements, they will be retained”.
Dube also said he had written to Madinda and Chitindi advising them of the termination of their caretaker tenure of the Warriors.
Despite the duo having failed to deliver in their respective portfolios at the CHAN tournament, Dube in separate letters to Madinda and Chitindi thanked them “for stepping up to national duty when they had been called to do so”.
Black Mambas technical advisor Madinda was the caretaker coach while former Black Rhinos administrator Chitindi was the team manager.
Dube has, however, sought to stick with the tried and tested Mussa, who is also a popular figure with the players to handle the Warriors’ welfare issues while Mapeza and Antipas will once again direct operations from the bench.
The Warriors face tough back-to-back cla-shes against the Eagles of Mali with Mapeza’s men visiting the cauldron of Bamako on March 26 before hosting the West Africans in Harare on June 5.
Zimbabwe are still to register a win in their Group A campaign having drawn 1-1 against Liberia before being held 0-0 at home by Cape Verde. After the back-to-back showdowns with Mali, the Warriors will then host Liberia before completing their qualification bid with a cagey away assignment against Cape Verde in Praia.