Warriors coaches to be named today

president, Ndumiso Gumede, in the absence of Cuthbert Dube who left the country yesterday to attend the Caf forum in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Today’s meeting is expected to announce the technical team to lead Zimbabwe in their opening game of the 2013 Afcon qualifying campaign.
But as things stand the team is non-existent following the suspension of over 80 players last week, most of whom made the bulk of the side.
Coach Norman Mapeza is also likely to be asked to stand aside as he was fingered in the Asiagate report.
The whole process, though, remains clouded after Fifa announced yesterday that it was investigating a number of games played by Bafana Bafana in the countdown to the 2010 World Cup.
One of those matches was against Zimbabwe, which Bafana won 3-0 in Durban, and while the Zifa investigating committee did not include it in their report, Fifa’s announcement brings a new twist.
For that could test Zifa’s hardline policy of blacklisting players, labeling them guilty until proven innocent, given that bringing that game into focus could leave the Warriors without any star names.
Zimbabwe also played a friendly against 2010 World Cup warm-up friendly against Japan that ended goalless.
Benedict Moyo was the head of delegation for that tour.
The other Bafana Bafana game being investigated by Fifa is the friendly against Guatemala that the South Africans won 5-0.
The Warriors are set to play Burundi in a preliminary round qualifier, first leg match, in three weeks’ time and there are genuine fears over the team’s preparations.
This has forced the board to call for an emergency meeting today to discuss plans for the game.
According to release by the association, the Afcon qualifier will be the only item on the agenda.
Moyo yesterday said the current clean-up exercise will not hamper the Warriors’ campaign for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“The status quo remains because we are yet to meet as a board to chart the way forward,” said Moyo.
“But I must assure the nation that everything is under control.
“We must not press the panic button thinking that there is no national team. The team is there because it’s not like we are dealing with a club, which has a limited number of players.
“This is the national team of a country of more than 14 million people we are talking about. We believe there are many players out there who can represent the nation well.”
Zimbabwe are set to face Burundi in a mid-week fixture on February 29 and then play the return match away over the weekend of June 15-17.
Moyo said he was confident Zimbabwe will get over their problems and was looking forward to the match against Burundi.
Zifa technical director, Dieter Klaus-Pagels, has been tipped to take over the national team coaching duties in the interim.
Moyo, however, said they are hoping to have a competitive technical team for the game.
Reports last night indicated that Rahman Gumbo is set to be asked to lead the Warriors for the game against Burundi with David Mandigora coming in as his assistant.
“In the interest of the nation we are going to put in place the best technical team possible and the coaches will be known soon.
“A good coach will never complain about issues of time. I think there is enough time for a coach to look around for players for this game. I have been a coach before and I know the demands.
“That is why Fifa give five days for coaches to work on their teams for international assignments. So we must not worry,” said Moyo.
Incumbent Warriors’ coach Mapeza is keeping his cards close to his chest and yesterday avoided making comments to the media over the issues surrounding Zimbabwean football.
Just like the players who have slapped with suspensions, pending investigations, Mapeza is also likely to be asked to step aside to clear his name.
His assistant, Joey Antipas, will also be ordered to step aside and to clear his name. Antipas traveled to matches in Asia while Mapeza led a team at the Cecafa tournament in Kenya in 2010.