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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
ZIFA are yet to appoint Under-23 coaches to succeed the legendary Peter Ndlovu.
Zifa will instead appoint substantive technical team members for the Olympic team who will be engaged in the 2016 tournament qualifiers early next year, once the high performance technical committee led by John Phiri has submitted its report and recommendations.
There have been reports that Dynamos mentor Callisto Pasuwa by virtue of him being the senior national team assistant coach, would take charge of the Under-23s, assisted by Mkhuphali Masuku.
The committee recently called upon all coaches to submit their CVs for scrutiny and recommendations to the national football board.
“At the moment, there is no Under-23 coach because Zifa has not appointed one since the departure of Peter Ndlovu to take up a managerial post with Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa,” said Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela.
Ndlovu’s appointment though was more academic than practical as the Young Warriors were never involved in any match until his departure.
Gwesela said the Zifa board will move with speed in appointing members of the Under-23 technical team because “junior football is now our major focal point.”
“Juniors are now our major focal point and once we get a report from the high performance committee, coaches will be appointed and it is them (coaches) who will give us their programme of action, a programme which has to be followed if we are to succeed as a nation,” said Gwesela.
The Olympic qualifiers will begin in February next year under a new format that will see the youngsters first fighting to qualify for the Caf Under-23 Championship to be held in the Democratic Republic of Congo in December 2015. Eight countries are expected to be in the DRC where only three countries will win the right to go to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hosts for the 2016 Olympics.
Online Reporter