SAWU CLIMBS DOWN

Raymond Jaravaza
THE name Agent Sawu is synonymous with one of the greatest strikers to ever don the national team jersey and evokes memories of the famous Dream Team that held its own against the continentaï¿½ï¿½s most-feared national teams.

The striker was the ace of that early 1990s outfit, scoring crucial goals that nearly powered the late Reinhard Fabisch-coached Warriors to the 1994 World Cup in the United States, only to fall 3-1 away to Cameroon at the final hurdle.

Fast forward to 2016, the former Zifa Southern Region club Ntabazinduna coach, has taken a major climb down in his coaching career joining Bantu Rovers as an Under-14 and 16 mentor.

In April, Sawu resigned from the Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services owned club citing a deep rift between himself and the team management.

The last straw, it appears, was when the club authorities started pre-season training without the former Warriors strikeraï¿½ï¿½s knowledge.

Because he couldnaï¿½ï¿½t stay on at a club where he felt aï¿½?unwantedaï¿½ï¿½, Sawu tendered his resignation letter.

Now the once fearsome striker has found a new home at Bantu Rovers aï¿½ï¿½ albeit in a less glamorous position in the clubaï¿½ï¿½s junior structures.

All the same Sawu is happy to be back doing what he loves best aï¿½ï¿½ coaching.

aï¿½?Football is my passion so it makes no difference if Iaï¿½ï¿½m coaching a senior team in Division One or youngsters in the junior structures. At Bantu aï¿½?Iaï¿½ï¿½m working with the Under-14 and 16 teams having joined the club last month,aï¿½? said Sawu.

How has the transition from coaching a senior team to mentoring boys under the age of 16 years been for the man affectionately known as aï¿½?Ajiraaï¿½ï¿½?

aï¿½?The approach to the game of football is the same and if you remember I coached juniors for a long time with a team called Rising Stars so in other words Iaï¿½ï¿½m in my comfort zone,aï¿½? he said

Sawu says he is happy mentoring young boys in the junior structures of a progressive club like Bantu Rovers whose club philosophy is centered around development as evidenced by the clubaï¿½ï¿½s decision to field seventy percent of players under the age of 20 in their Zifa Southern Region team coached by former Highlanders midfielder Johannes Ngodzo.

aï¿½?The senior team coaches regularly attend juniors training sessions and vice versa to exchange notes so that our style of play is the same throughout the different age groups,aï¿½? he added

The Bantu Under 14 and 16 teams play North Stars on Pumula North on Saturday starting at 9am. .