Zimbabwe not ready for big stage: Norman Mapeza

FORMER Warriors coach and captain Norman Mapeza says at the moment there is no local Premier Soccer League (PSL) side that can really compete in the Confederation of African Football (Caf) competitions.

Mapeza, who is not a stranger to international football both as a player and a coach, bemoaned the country’s failure to produce young quality players in the past couple of years.

“There is no local club that is ready to really compete in Caf Champions League or any other continental games. I think we are a little beat behind in terms of everything. That’s my opinion, I don’t know what other people think. When we participate at such competitions, we will be seeking to give players that exposure and experience but in the past five years our league has not been producing real quality players.

“It’s either Manica Diamonds get a player from FC Platinum or FC Platinum get a player from Highlanders or Scottland. It has been all about player exchange between clubs. What about the young stars? Let’s have a proper grassroots programme,” said Mapeza.

He proposed that the local football family should consider having a long-term plans to develop players so that the country has quality players. “Let’s have a 10-year plan, we need to have sound junior structures. If we do that we will have the quality that can compete.

Let’s start from somewhere whether for clubs or national teams then we can say, look, we had 10 years of planning, where did we get it wrong

“From here maybe I will need to go get some players, maybe from CAPS United. What about these juniors? If we do not get those things in place there will be nothing for us,” said Mapeza.

Last year, Ngezi Platinum Stars and Dynamos were the country’s representatives in the Caf Champions League and Confederations Cup contests respectively.
Both clubs failed to reach the group stages.

Ngezi Platinum Stars were eliminated in the first round stage by AS Maniema Union of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while DeMbare were sent packing by Orapa United of Botswana.

This year the Glamour Boys, who are the Chibuku Super Cup holders, will once again carry the country’s hopes in the Caf Confederations Cup tournament.
Simba Bhora, who underwent a significant squad overhaul during the offseason, with several key players and former coach Tonderai Ndiraya departing for rivals Scottland, will compete in the Caf Champions League.

Ndiraya, who led the team to their historic title triumph last season, took with him some of the players who were instrumental in the club’s success including Soccer Star of the Year Walter Musona, Tymon Machope, Tichaona Chipunza and Mthokhozisi Msebe.

Now under the guidance of Joel Luphahla, Simba Bhora’s pre-season preparations have been seen as a critical step in their quest to defend their domestic title and make an impact on the continental stage.

The team’s training camp in Polokwane, South Africa, included high-intensity drills, tactical sessions, and friendly matches against local sides to test their readiness for the upcoming challenges. They have also reportedly roped in scientific training methods which involve extensive data collection on players. — @FungaiMuderere.