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Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
AS the Warriors prepare for their third campaign at the African Cup of Nations finals, former coach Charles Mhlauri has rallied Zimbabweans to pool resources together to ensure Callisto Pasuwa’s men are adequately prepared and motivated for the tournament.
Mhlauri, who led the Warriors during the 2006 Nations Cup finals told The Herald from his base in the United States where he is director of coaching at Lightning Soccer Club in Vermont, that he believes the biggest lesson that ZIFA could learn from the past was to adequately prepare the team. He believes his squad could have done better had more funding been availed during their preparations.
“I think the approach in terms of preparations should be addressed by Callisto Pasuwa, he is the head coach and let us give him a chance and support him in his endeavours,” said Mhlauri.
“I am of the opinion that the head coach should be supported so that he can focus clearly on the job at hand. He has qualified and that demonstrates his ability.
“I don’t feel it’s professional for me to offer advice to Callisto Pasuwa through the media. I believe as a coach it’s not my area to want to be seen giving advice through media to another coach.
“Pasuwa should be given the platform to outline his plan and be supported.”
Mhlauri pleaded with ZIFA to mobilise resources to ensure the Warriors get a chance to hold a training camp out of the country. His troops first camped in France before winding off their preparations from Morocco.
“Our camp was very important in ensuring that we were ready for Egypt though it was a little bit too late. I wish we had done more, but there was no finance and remember we could not afford to go to Lesotho by bus.
“To come back a goal away from proceeding to the next round in a Group of Death, which had Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal shows with better preps we could have done better.
“The main problem I faced was just lack of funding for the team. This crippled whatever plans I had in place nor meaningful preparatory games or opportunity to evaluate players both in and outside country.
“It will always be difficult to succeed without investing in preparation and football development in the country’’.
Mhlauri was also hopeful that Pasuwa would take in his stride the criticism when he names his provisional squad and ultimately the final 23 for Gabon.
“It is always a professional hazard that when it comes to national team selection, as a coach you will always be criticised even when you win. This is the culture the world over,” said Mhlauri.
“Despite qualifying Sunday Chidzambwa and I were not spared either. The coach has to make the difficult choices that will better serve the team as a group and not as individuals.
“It is not easy to make a team out of individual players coming from different clubs, backgrounds and playing at different levels. I have never concerned myself with critics as they will always be there, but was guided by performance and my evaluation’’.
Mhlauri said it was imperative that the Warriors become a regular feature at such competitions like the Nations Cup if football in Zimbabwe were to grow to higher levels.
“I was happy to see the team qualify. As a footballing nation we need to be competing at the highest and qualifying for AFCON must be the norm not the exception.
“Qualifying confirms that we have the talent and skills to compete at AFCON and we can keep building from that experience’’.
Mhlauri said the presence of European-based players such as Costa Nhamoinesu, Marvelous Nakamba, Matthew Rusike and Knowledge Musona in the squad should stand Pasuwa’s men in good stead.
“African teams are all struggling at the World Cup finals to make it out of the group stage. Only a few have made it beyond the first round.
“This in general clearly demonstrates the gap between Europe and Africa when it comes to football. We still have a lot of work to do in football development at grassroots, this includes coach education, infrastructure (fields and equipment) and coming up with clear developmental plans or policies.
“Coach Education is still an issue, we need to have a mass production of qualified coaches up to Pro Licence level so that we can compete with best football nations.
“This is the reason why I brought in Dick De Boer as my assistant at Warriors because the analysis, deliberations and plans have to be rich in detail if we are to make better decisions.
“I respect all my local colleagues in coaching, but results at international level do not lie, the last World Cup trophies are in Brazil, Italy, Spain and Germany. All these countries have invested heavily in junior development, coach education and strategic planning.
“I know a lot is improving, but we are still far behind in closing the gap with Europe as a continent not to mention Zimbabwe in particular.
“Yes players playing in Europe are generally playing at a far advanced level compared to our local leagues. As you may have seen at World Cup finals most if not all African teams are losing due to mostly due to lack of tactical discipline or organisation.
“Football is a game of inches either you are an inch late or an inch too early and that defines the result. These are habits that can best be developed at junior level’’. ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa has insisted he is working round the clock to ensure the Warriors are supported in their quest for adequate preparations.
Online Reporter