BY TERRY MADYAUTA
FORMER Warriors coach Rahman Gumbo says he is no longer inspired by winning top-flight league titles but junior development as he prepares for life in the Zifa Central Region Division One with his TelOne side.
Gumbo, one of the most decorated coaches in Zimbabwe, is currently attached to the Gweru-based side, which was relegated from the Premier Soccer League (PSL) last season.
A legend in Zimbabwean football, Gumbo boasts of a coaching career spanning over two decades where he has coached and won a lot of silverware with numerous clubs locally as well as in the region.
The veteran gaffer told Standardsport in an interview that nurturing budding talent should be a priority for coaches, who have exhausted the coaching terrain locally and beyond the country’s borders.
“It doesn’t matter anymore to be fighting for the PSL title when our developmental ranks are almost empty. Little has been done to invest both time and financial resources in this area yet we need to keep providing players for our national teams and local clubs,” Gumbo said.
“For this, I feel some of us who have exhausted almost every corner of top-flight football need to shift focus and help in talent identification, giving young players confidence to come out of their shells,” he added.
Gumbo, who won league titles in Malawi, Botswana and Zimbabwe, is now coaching Division One football, says it’s not a downgrade to be in lower leagues.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“Many might feel that I have fallen from grace, but for me it’s a turn for the better. We need to develop more talent and that is what I will be focusing on with this TelOne project in my hands,” he said.
Gumbo said he reached the prime of his career having mentored half of the coaches in the PSL.
“Most of the coaches in the PSL passed through my hands. I actually coached some of them, so I want them to compete on their own. I want to achieve big by giving youngsters the guidance to greatness in football,” he added.
