THE HUNT IS ON

Petros Kausiyo and Tadious Manyepo

ZIFA have wasted no time in starting the search for a new Zimbabwe senior soccer team coach following their decision to end Michael Nees’ poor reign in charge of the Warriors.

The association, taking cognisance of the need to maximise on the next FIFA international window have tentatively set a week-long transitional period before they find a replacement for the German.

It emerged that a meeting between the ZIFA executive and their technical committee which last late into the night on Wednesday had apart from firing the clueless Nees, resolved to undertake a transparent process which included also advertising for the post on the FIFA website.

Interestingly, speculation on possible replacements went into overdrive from late Wednesday after ZIFA revealed via a statement that they had terminated.

Some seasoned foreign and local coaches are already being touted for the job, and these include the former Warriors trio of ex-goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaaar, incumbent assistant Kaitano Tembo and German-based former defender George Mbwando.

Nees’ countryman Winfried “Winnie” Schäfer has his name also resurfacing as has been that of widely travelled Serbian Milutin “Micho” Sredojević, and Belgian Adel Amrouche.

ZIFA authorities were not at liberty to discuss much about whether they will hire an expatriate or turn to a local coach, insisting on allowing “due processes that normally go with head-hunting of a coach to take place without prejudice’’.

What is clear, however, is that there are a host of candidates waiting on the wings to take over and lead the Warriors at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in December.

Although they may have been coy on Nees’ possible successor ZIFA revealed that they had already line up two international friendly matches for the Warriors, which will be a platform for the new coach to begin his tenure.

Warriors to camp for 10 days ahead of AFCON

As well as playing two strong friendly games against the fourth-ranked team in Africa Algeria and Qatar next month, the ZIFA indicated that they want to afford the Warriors at least 10 days to gel and coordinate before they leave for their base in Morocco.

Zimbabwe were drawn in a tough Group B which includes record seven-time AFCON winners Egypt who they face at the same stage for the third time since they took their Nations Cup bow in 2004 in Tunisia.

Group B also includes Zimbabwe’s COSAFA rivals South Africa and Angola.

ZIFA’s decision to have the Warriors play Algeria was inspired by the need to have them size-up with a team that has almost the same playing system as the Pharaohs.

ZIFA president Nqobile Magwizi revealed that the Warriors will have a 10-day camp before they travel for the AFCON while the new coach will also be afforded a separate camp with local players where he will assess and pos-sibly pick those he will draft into the squad.

“The executive committee yesterday (on Wednesday) actually approved a proposal from the General Secretary (Yvonne Manwa) for the matches we need to play during the FIFA break in November.

“We have a match with Algeria. We also have a match with Qatar. Of course, Algeria’s choice was very deliberate, knowing that in the AFCON we will be playing Egypt, and the style of play between Egypt and Algeria is almost the same,’’ said Magwizi.

“So, we have those matches that are coming up. We also have put in place a camp that will happen, a 10-day camp that will happen when we are going for the AFCON.

“This is meant to thoroughly prepare the boys for the tournament.

“But before that campaign comes up, we’re also going to put in place even a local camp where the new technical team will have an opportunity to spend a lot more time with the players, so that as we go to AFCON, we are well prepared and we are ready to give the best performance that we can give.”

Magwizi revealed why ZIFA had to come with a decision to fire Nees whose only two wins in 14 games came against Namibia in the AFCON qualifiers. Former Seychelles coach Nees had been appointed by the Normalisation Committee, becoming the fourth coach that Lincoln Mutasa’s leadership had flirted with in their year-long tenure at ZIFA.

Magwizi’s executive had resolved to retain Nees when they assumed office in January, but the German could not find a winning formula beyond victories over Namibia.

Resultantly the Warriors finished their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign win-less and at the bottom of the six-team group.

“We came in January as an executive committee. As the executive we recognise that football has a lot of stake-holders of course; we have the fans, our Government, the clubs you know, the stakeholders are many.

“Of course (Nees failed) to meet the expectations which we have as an Ex-co based on the targets which we set hence there was a need for a review from the technical committee that then made its submissions and of course after wide consultations we had to respect the set tar-gets, so we had to part ways.

“Looking forward you know we will engage someone who can inject some new energy and of course meet the desires and hopes of the nation,” Magwizi said.

Amid revelations that interviews for the shortlisted candidates could held over the weekend and Monday, the Warriors could by Wednesday know the identity of their new coach.