Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda-Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA have been blown away by the overwhelming responses they have received for the vacant Warriors job, with the window for applications closing at the end of business yesterday.
The football association’s technical and development committee is now expected to, this afternoon, draw up their short-list from the hordes of applications that have reportedly been flooding their email since Monday, when ZIFA officially invited candidates earmarked to replace the sacked Michael Nees to send in their bids.
Although ZIFA have not yet made public the full list of applicants, Zimpapers Sports Hub can reveal that former Newcastle United and Ghana coach Chris Hughton is among those who have applied for the Warriors job.
The 66-year-old, who also managed Brighton, Albion and Hove for five years, is one of the over-reported 200 coaches who have thrown their names into the hat for the next Warriors gaffer.
Zimbabwe need a coach to guide the Warriors at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in December.
Apart from Hughton, the vacant Warriors job has attracted interest from several other high-profile coaches from Europe, including former Tottenham and Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, Serbian tactician Milutin “Micho’’ Sredojević, Algerian Adel Amrouche and Frenchman Patrice Neveu.
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Ex-Zimbabwe goalkeeper and former SuperSport United coach Bruce Grobbelaar has also made no secret of his aspirations to coach the Warriors, having first submitted his bid to Lincoln Mutasa and his Normalisation Committee. The Jungleman as Grobbelaar is affectionately called also followed up by submitting his papers to the current ZIFA leadership. Egyptian Muhamed Fathi and Dutchman Erol Akbay, who had stints as Highlanders coaches are also among the Warriors job aspirants.
The national team job fell vacant following Nees’ sacking last week, with the German paying the price for the Warriors’ win-less 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.
Despite having helped the Warriors to secure a place at the Nations Cup, Nees had a poor run of results in his tenure with the senior team, winning just two of his 16 games in charge.
Although they are still to announce their short-list, ZIFA have made no secret of the fact that they have been charmed with the overwhelming response to the Warriors job advert, despite the stringent requirements they set for the post. Only those with at least a CAF Pro or a UEFA Pro License, and five years’ experience in coaching national or top club teams in Africa qualify for the Warriors job.
“The standards that have been set are high and the responses show that the Warriors are an attractive brand despite their recent results.
“We have a large pool of attractive and mature players that present an opportunity for an ambitious coach who would want to achieve something big,’’ said ZIFA.
ZIFA also believe that the increasing number of the Warriors internationals plying their trade in European and other top leagues has ensured that Zimbabwe has become an attractive brand.
Some of the Warriors players plying their trade in top European leagues include the Wolves duo of Marshall Munetsi and Tawanda Chirewa.
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“We have Munashe Garan’anga playing UEFA Champions League football with FC Copenhagen.
“If you look at a player like Teenage Hadebe, he has stood toe to toe with mega stars like Lionel Messi in the MLS.
“Zimbabwe are also participating at the AFCON finals and this is another opportunity to make a statement.
“As ZIFA we are happy with this overwhelming response.
“The association has also become more attractive under the leadership of Nqobile Magwizi,” added the association.
A former Warriors player who chose to speak anonymously said the massive interest in the national team job was a plus for Zimbabwean football. “Football is global, and people will be watching and reading about what’s happening in Zimbabwe from wherever.
“This huge interest in the Warriors job shows Zimbabwe is an attractive coaching destination,” he said.
The incoming coach’s first two assignments will be the Warriors’ international friendly clashes with former African champions Algeria and 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar during the FIFA November window.
After that the Warriors will make a sixth appearance at the AFCON finals in Morocco where they play Egypt, Angola and South Africa in Group B. Zimbabwe have never progressed beyond the group stages since 2004 when they made their maiden appearance in Tunisia.
