The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
NEWLY appointed Warriors caretaker coach, Norman Mapeza, says there is nothing more to his task than to get the Qatar 2022 campaign back on the rails.
Mapeza was named the senior men’s national team coach on Wednesday in a new set up that includes Triangle coach, Taurai Mangwiro and Mandla Mpofu as his assistants, while Energy ‘Gokwe’ Murambadoro was appointed the goalkeepers’ coach.
This follows the firing of out of sorts Croatian national, Zdravko Logarusic and his assistants, Tonderai Ndiraya, Lloyd Chitembwe, Benjani Mwaruwari as well as goalkeepers’ coach, Tembo Chuma.
The temporary set up which is set to last at least three months comes after a disastrous start that reaped only a solitary point out of a possible six.
Mapeza reckons that the challenge ahead of him is to recoup the Warriors’ chances of their maiden World Cup qualification.
“There is really nothing much to talk about at the moment. It is clear to all that the situation had gone bad. I am only coming in to help revive the campaign. We will try our best and ensure that we achieve just that,” said the FC Platinum gaffer.
The 49-year-old former Zimbabwe international can easily earn the confidence of all Warriors faithful after impressive performances in previous assignments that were only derailed by administrative gaffes on the part of Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA).
In his most recent spell as interim national team coach, Mapeza took charge of the Warriors in their famous 3-0 victory over Liberia which set the foundation for the team’s qualification for the 2019 AFCON finals in Egypt.
The former Zimbabwe international will be making his third dance as Warriors coach after a stint as a substantive coach then on an interim basis in 2018.
Mapeza, however, faces a tough task in his latest stint as he takes charge of a Warriors side, which is bottom of Group G after managing to salvage just a point after drawing against South Africa at home before losing 0-1 to minnows, Ethiopia.
To make matters more complicated for the former Warriors captain, he will begin his latest tenure with tough back-to-back fixtures against West African giants, Ghana next month.
Zimbabwe will then conclude their campaign with fixtures against Ethiopia home and South Africa away.
