Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere, Zimpapers Sports Hub
A STORM has swept through the Warriors technical bench!
On Wednesday night, the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) announced the dismissal of Warriors head coach Michael Nees, due to a string of poor results, just months before the team’s highly anticipated appearance at the Afcon finals in Morocco this December.
Despite guiding Zimbabwe to qualification for the 2025 Afcon finals, the German tactician struggled to find consistent form with the national team after taking charge on July 24, following his appointment by the Normalisation Committee (NC).
Question: What’s behind this brutal purge?
Answer: During his tenure, Nees managed just two wins in 16 matches, alongside seven draws and seven defeats. Both victories came during the 2025 Afcon qualifiers against Namibia.
“The sacking of the Warriors coach was long overdue. I don’t think he was the right man for the job. Winning only two out of 16 games says a lot about his shortcomings. Watching us lose back-to-back to Lesotho was painful. I believe assistant coach Kaitano Tembo can do a better job at the Afcon finals. He should be given time after the tournament to build a long-term project,” said fan Wisdom Nyathi.
Another supporter, Admire Sibanda, echoed Nyathi’s sentiments, criticising Nees for his reliance on ageing players such as Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat.
“He’s been letting us down by sticking with players who are well over 30. That wasn’t necessary — we have plenty of younger talent. We’re not happy at all. We should have beaten South Africa and Lesotho — teams we’ve beaten before. The coach failed in his role. We need someone who will prioritise youth development,” said Sibanda.
However, not everyone agreed. Thabiso Dube offered a different perspective.
“I wasn’t pleased with Nees’ dismissal. It felt like something was starting to take shape under his leadership. Things were beginning to look promising. He should have been given the chance to lead the team at Afcon. I think it was a premature decision,” said Dube.
Zifa President Nqobile Magwizi commented yesterday.
“While Nees met some of his targets, the decision to part ways was also influenced by feedback from various stakeholders. We have multiple stakeholders — fans, Government and clubs — and as the Executive Committee, we had set expectations that were not being met.
“After a review and consultations with the technical committee, we made the decision. We’re now looking to appoint someone who can bring renewed energy to the team.”
Following Nees’ departure, Kaitano Tembo is widely tipped to take over as head coach. A former head coach at SuperSport United and Sekhukhune United, Tembo has been part of the Warriors’ technical team since last month, serving as assistant coach during the last two matches of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
Among those interviewed, the majority felt Zifa’s decision to sack Nees was justified, with seven out of ten supporting the move. One disagreed, while two expressed neutrality, stating they were comfortable with whatever decision the national association made. — @FungaiMuderere
