Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA’s search for a new Warriors coach has officially shut the door on most local candidates — even the country’s finest. The association is seeking a coach with at least five years’ experience in top-tier African competitions and a Caf Pro or Uefa Pro licence, a combination that effectively rules out almost every Zimbabwean tactician.
This means Warriors legends Norman Mapeza, Kalisto Pasuwa and Sunday Chidzambwa — men who have previously led the national team at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) — are now ineligible.
Mapeza guided Zimbabwe at the 2021 Afcon and took FC Platinum into Caf competitions on multiple occasions, though they exited in the early rounds.
Pasuwa, head coach of Malawi, qualified Zimbabwe for Afcon 2017, steered Dynamos in the Champions League between 2012 and 2014, and led Nyasa Big Bullets on several continental campaigns.
Chidzambwa’s record remains unmatched — he took Dynamos to the 1998 Champions League final, qualified Zimbabwe for their first Afcon in 2004 and repeated the feat in 2019.
However, without the top-tier Caf or Uefa Pro badge, all three fall short of Zifa’s strict new requirements.
“The Head Coach will lead, manage and develop the Warriors to achieve competitive excellence in Cosafa, Afcon and Fifa competitions,” Zifa stated in its call for applications, posted on both the Zifa and Fifa websites.
While the advert appears ambitious, critics argue it’s a subtle way of saying “locals need not apply.”
“This criteria clearly favours foreigners,” said one insider. “It’s almost impossible for a local coach to meet the Caf Pro requirement when Zifa itself hasn’t facilitated that training here.”
Names already linked to the post include Milutin “Micho” Sredojevi, Adel Amrouche, and German veteran Winfried Schäfer — all foreign, all Caf-tested and all expensive.
And therein lies another challenge: money. Zifa’s coffers are reportedly dry, meaning they’ll likely require Government support to attract the calibre of coach they now seek.
The new coach is expected to take charge of next month’s high-profile friendlies against Algeria and Qatar, before leading the Warriors into the 2025 Afcon in Morocco.
For now, the message is loud and clear: Zifa wants pedigree on paper — even if it leaves local heroes on the bench.
