We have a solid foundation but…

Sport
The performance of Marvelous Nakamba in the English Premier League and that of Marshall Munetsi in the French Ligue 1 has turned international football attention to Zimbabwe.

MICHAEL KARIATI

The performance of Marvelous Nakamba in the English Premier League and that of Marshall Munetsi in the French Ligue 1 has turned international football attention to Zimbabwe.

That attention, however, should not end with individual performances but should also be matched by the performance of the Zimbabwe national soccer team — the Warriors — who have international engagements in the form of the upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

There are others too who are turning on the style in foreign club colours like Tino Kadewere at Le Havre in the French second division as well as Khama Billiat with Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa, not to mention Macauley Bonne at Charlton Athletic in the English Championship. Bonne is, however, still to acquire a Zimbabwean passport.

Teenage Hadebe too is now at a recognised European league at Malatyaspor in the Turkish Premiership that gave Norman Mapeza both fame and fortune while turning out for Galatasaray in that league and also in the Uefa Champions League.

That is the solid foundation that Zimbabwe needs as they embark on their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations journey in which they will battle it out with Algeria, Botswana, and Zambia, for one of the two tickets to the finals that after every two years gathers together the best African football has to offer.

There is little doubt that Zimbabwe has at its disposal a group of young and talented players who must be moulded into a team which plays beyond individual limits. What is in question, however, is whether the country has the coaches capable of bringing together the disparate elements?

Caretaker coach Joey Antipas’ teams have won two matches, 3-1 over Somalia in a 2022 World Cup qualifier and another 3-1 victory over Lesotho in the Africa Nations Championships, but on both occasions, the Warriors were a disappointment and were far from convincing.

Right now, Antipas’ Chicken Inn is going through a tough time in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League and have not won a game in their past three outings, and are slowly losing touch with leaders, CAPS United.

Chicken Inn’s stuttering form under Antipas’ stewardship is beginning to raise questions as to whether he is the sort of coach required to handle the national team at such a high level as the World Cup.

What Zifa probably need to do is to appoint a foreign technical adviser to assist Antipas. Former Warriors coach Klaus Dieter Pagels is understood to be interested in working in Zimbabwe again, and even new Highlanders coach Henrik Peter De Jongh might also be of help should he be asked to assist.

Knowing Zifa’s limited financial resources, the national football federation could also go out for a cheaper but good foreign technical adviser who is eager to make a name for himself in African football in the same manner Reinhard Fabisch established himself.

Antipas should stay, so should his assistants Lloyd Chitembwe and Tonderai Ndiraya because they know the Zimbabwean players well.

However, technically, they need assistance and that is where the foreign technical adviser must come in.

It would also not do any damage for the Zimbabwe team coaches to consult with the likes of Kaitano Tembo who is at SuperSport United and Norman Mapeza at Chippa United in South Africa for advice on which players should be considered for a national call up.

Although Zimbabweans have a rough idea on what is happening in South African football due to its wide television coverage, there is need for advice from those on the ground, who see and talk to the players on a day to day basis.

Zifa should also strive to improve the team’s preparations which so far have not been running smoothly. Antipas has been denied the chance to experiment with his players due to Zifa’s failure to organise friendly matches for the Warriors on Fifa dates.

Surprisingly, on the other hand, the Zebras of Botswana have lined up Egypt, that also coming a few weeks after they hosted Liberia on their Independence Day celebrations.

Although a glimpse into the quality of the opposition in the group should be enough to feel a measure of sympathy for the Zebras, they could do better than Zimbabwe if the situation on the ground remains the same for the Warriors.

The foundation for a strong Warriors team is there and Zimbabwean football fans who have seen their hopes deflated so often in the past are beginning to believe in their team once again and it is now up to the coaches to come up with a team that can justify that belief.

Togo and Angola qualified for the World Cup when no-one, including their hardest of followers did not give them a chance. So did Jamaica’s Reggae Boys and Honduras, before them. For the Warriors, what is required is the right choice of technical adviser, good preparations, and proper organisation, and Zimbabwe could — against the odds — be there in Qatar among the best world football has to offer.

The two 2021 Africa Cup of Nations matches which are coming up against Botswana and Zambia should be the starting point to a long and successful journey — that is if the right things are done.

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