Zimbabwe is on the brink of making their third appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals to be staged in South Africa next year and coach Rahman Gumbo is shouldering the weight of an expectant football nation.
The Warriors face Angola in a decisive 2013 Afcon qualifier away match next Sunday, carrying a 3-1 win from the first leg played in Harare on September 9. Sports Reporter Michael Madyira (MM) spoke to Gumbo (RG) on the preparedness of the team ahead of the potentially stormy tie.
Below are excerpts of the interview.
MM: What have been your biggest challenges ahead of the game? RG: Getting through preparations has been our greatest challenge. We will have little time in camp, no friendly matches and a number of injured players. We also lack material and financial resources needed to craft a team into a strong unit.
MM: How have you addressed the growing tendency of players reporting late for camp? RG: I am not happy with the way some players respond to national team call-ups. I discussed the issue with them and I believe their attitudes have changed. I can only call up the players, but Zifa has to make sure they are here on time.
MM: What would be your main focus in training considering the short time you will have with players? RG: That is between me and the team.
MM: How do you rate our chances of qualifying for South Africa 2013? RG: We are at an advantage. We have bright chances of qualifying.
MM: Many fans would feel a player like Bradley Pritchard should be in the team because he is playing competitive football in England . . . RG: We have to understand that there are so many players outside the country that I have left out. I know all of them, it is not only Pritchard. Players have to be introduced into the team gradually. We cannot afford to experiment at this moment.
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MM: But you have called up some new players . . . RG: I know that. Pritchard will get his chance like any other player.
MM: How about Mike Temwanjira? RG: Mike has just come back from injury, so we cannot risk him.
MM: And what is the issue with Ovidy Karuru? RG: I have no comment on that. If I say something, people will turn it around. Last time I jokingly said I would have killed Ovidy for failing to score and it was misinterpreted. It was just a joke, but it became a big issue. So let me keep the Ovidy issue to myself.
MM: At this level, do you feel a player based in Botswana can compete against the likes of Yaya Touré, Michael Essien or Peter Odemwingie? RG: I am dealing with what is available at the moment. I have to look at players who are playing regularly at their clubs and are in top-form. Those I have called are the ones available at the moment.
MM: What problems do you foresee when you arrive in Luanda and do you have any means to counter them? RG: Of course we will be in an unfriendly environment and we might be subjected to hostile treatment. We are aware of the tension ahead. It is as if we are going for war. The guys just have to be psychologically prepared for anything.
MM: You previously served as Warriors head coach some years back. How different is the squad you had then and the current crop of players? RG: There is a big difference between that team and the current one. Look, football has changed a lot. We are talking about different eras here. That time we used to have players of Peter Ndlovu’s calibre, which is not the case now. However, we have some guys like Tinashe (Nengomasha), Esrom (Nyandoro) and (Tapuwa) Kapini who were in that squad. But the difference still remains.
MM: Which crop is better? RG: You cannot compare the teams because of different eras. But like I said before, football has evolved.
MM: How has your approach to this team differed from the previous engagement ? RG: Of course it has changed a lot. Now I am more experienced and my knowledge of African football has been enhanced.
MM: Where do you place Zimbabwe in African football? Can we compete against continental football giants? RG: Right now it is not fair to expect a lot from the current team because we are not operating with the full squad. Look, at the moment we cannot be compared to Zambia, Ivory Coast or Nigeria.
MM: As a player, you were part of the “Dream Team”, which thrice closely missed qualification for major tournaments. Now that we are about to qualify for Afcon, what lessons did you draw from that team that you would need to apply now to ensure qualification? RG: That time we worked hard and did everything to qualify, but still we failed. Right now we have bright chances of making it and have to be very cautious in everything we do. What people should note is that the Dream Team was totally different from the current team. It had more experienced guys, which is not the case right now. We had no financial problems like now. The game against Zambia when Kalusha (Bwalya) scored right at the death to deny us qualification, just shows that luck was not on our side. I learnt that football is played until the final whistle. I pray that will never happen again. I am just trying to look at the positive side of life.
MM: But do you feel the boys have to be reminded of that piece of history? RG: Of course they have to know what happened in the past so that history does not repeat itself.
MM: What are some of your fond memories of the Dream Team? RG: Eish! That was a great team and to me it was a privilege and a pleasure to be part of such a team. We were a united family. I remember those were the first days for national team players to get hefty incentives. During matches against Egypt and Cameroon, each player pocketed about ZW$35 000. But it was not all about money, but national pride. The feeling of wearing that green and gold jersey was just awesome.
