Online Reporter
Robson Sharuko
Metros Editor
WILL Ramon Catala end more than a quarter-of-a-century of frustration and become the first foreign coach to guide the Warriors to a victory in his first game in charge?
Twenty seven years have now passed since a foreign coach led the Warriors to victory in his first match in charge.
That was on July 3, 1999, when Dutchman Clemens Westerhof led the Warriors to a 1-0 win over Eritrea in Asmara in an AFCON qualifier.
Six foreign coaches – Valinhos (Brazil), Baltermar Brito (Brazil), Klaus Dieter Pagels (Germany), Zdravko Logarusic (Croatia), Mario Marinica (Romania) and Michael Nees (Germany) – have taken charge of the Warriors since the turn of the millennium.
None of them managed to win their opening game in charge of the team.
Nees led the Warriors to a goalless draw against Kenya, Mario’s first game was a 1-2 defeat at the hands of Egypt at the AFCON finals while Brito’s first game was a goalless draw against Rwanda.
Loga’s first game was a 1-3 defeat at the hands of Algeria while Valinhos marked his tenure with a goalless draw against Guinea in Conakry.
Now, for the first time in their history, the Warriors are now under the guidance of a Spanish coach.
He has the chance to do what all the others who came before him, after the turn of the millennium, failed to do by winning his first game in charge of the team on Thursday.
In October last year, we reported that ZIFA have splashed about US$1 million on four foreign coaches – Valinhos, Klaus Dieter Pagels, Zdravko Logarusic and Michael Nees – in the past 17 years.
And, in return, these gaffers delivered just FOUR wins.
The four coaches beat just two teams – Botswana and Namibia – in World Cup and AFCON qualifiers.
The investment in the foreign coaches also cost Zimbabwe a place in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers when the Warriors were disqualified after ZIFA failed to pay Tom Saintfiet his dues.
Saintfiet, who was deported after coaching the Warriors in just one session, was owed US$181,000 as compensation for the cancellation of his contract.
The actual cost of the investment into these foreign coaches, including their upkeep during their stay here and holiday trips in foreign countries, amounts to US$991,000.
Pagels did not win any of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers he took charge of during his short stint as Warriors coach.
Valinhos beat just ONE opponent in the 10 matches that he was in charge of the Warriors when his men defeated Namibia 2-0 at Rufaro.
Loga beat just ONE opponent during his time when he was in charge of the Warriors when his men edged Botswana 1-0 in Francistown.
Nees beat just ONE opponent during his time when he was in charge of the Warriors when his men defeated Namibia in back-to-back matches.
Sierra Leone find themselves in the same predicament as the Warriors were before these qualifiers.
They are homeless because they don’t have a stadium which can host matches like the AFCON qualifiers and this has forced them to play in Morocco.
The last time the Warriors played in Morocco, they impressed, in a losing cause, to neighbours South Africa.
Tawanda Maswanhise, who was finally thrown into battle because of public pressure after having been criminally left out of the first two matches, was the star of the match.
He was named by CAF as one of the best three promising players from that AFCON finals, despite only starting in one match and playing a few final minutes in the other game.
Mario’s decision to ignore the talents of Maswanhise, which he claimed was based on science, which probably looked more like witchcraft, strained his relationship with the fans.
And, when he picked another personal fight with Marshall Munetsi, the die for him was cast and his axing, disguised as a divorce where both parties agreed to separate, was expected.
Catala’s examination, just like all the foreign coaches who came before him, will be brutal and starts on Thursday.
Unlike Nees and Mario, who did not have the advantage of playing at home, Catala will get that advantage and the first examination will be against the DRC, fresh from a World Cup appearance.
