There is no discussion in Zimbabwean football right now without the mention of the name Zdravko Logarusic.
MICHAEL KARIATI
Not only for handling Zimbabwe’s worst team at both the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) and the Africa Nations Championships (Chan) finals, but also for searching for another job while attached to the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
It is a fact that Logarusic was not entirely to blame for Zimbabwe’s disastrous showing at Chan 2021, but it is the news that he was negotiating for a job with Simba Stars while sitting on the Warriors bench that has not gone down well with the Zimbabwean football public.
Logarusic’s behaviour does not only raise question marks about his commitment and loyalty to the Zimbabwean cause, but also whether Zimbabwe needs these fly-by-night foreign coaches.
One thing that is clear is that there is no guarantee that Logarusic will be around to see the Warriors through their 2021 Nations Cup and 2022 World Cup campaigns, and Zimbabwe needs to be fully prepared for that.
After all, this man has not lasted more than two years in all his attachments to African teams in Sudan, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania where he worked before heading to Southern Africa.
Ironically, Logarusic’s record as a coach both in his homeland and abroad is threadbare and Zifa owe the nation an explanation as to where they got him and what they saw in him to give him the Warriors job.
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Just like most of these other expatriate coaches across the continent, Logarusic has shown that he is here in Africa not for the progress of the game, but to milk the money on offer and leave.
What these coaches are only interested in are huge salaries and favourable contracts and the theme that “I love Zimbabwe” and “I love Africa” is to seek acceptance.
Surprisingly, the Zimbabwean football authorities, just like many others across the continent, continue to fall prey to these coaches’ fake CVs, smooth talk and promises of milk and honey.
The question is: Why did Zifa go back to the foreign coach system after enjoying success with locals following the Valinhos disastrous experience?
After Valinhos, Kalisto Pasuwa and Sunday Chidzambwa came and led the Warriors to Afcon 2017 and 2019, and Joey Antipas took the Warriors to Chan 2021 before he was “dumped” in favour of this Loga.
As Zimbabwe heads towards the 2021 Afcon and 2022 World Cup campaigns, Zifa should either ask Logarusic to pack his bags and leave or be prepared to be dumped in the middle of a campaign.
Logarusic’s behaviour has shown that he can leave Zimbabwe even a day before a crucial match as long as the money promised ahead is good.
What Zifa should do right now is to identify a local coach or a foreigner like Klaus Dieter Pagels who comes from a rare breed of result-oriented foreign coaches.
There are a few foreign coaches — that is if there are any — who have shown such commitment to their job like this German national who during his days in Zimbabwe helped the Mighty Warriors qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Even his Warriors team was one that one was proud of even in defeat as it exhibited an exciting brand of the short passing game which Pagels himself called Tiki Taka.
Sadly, though, the Physical Education teacher had to return home as he was in Zimbabwe on a government-to-government agreement, the same way that the late Reinhard Fabisch came here.
Why Zifa did not give him a second Zimbabwe coming when he wanted it is something else but the football federation can, still make things right by giving Pagels a chance.
Zifa were to blame for the circus at Afcon 2019 and are partly to blame for the disaster at Chan 2021, but all that will be forgotten should Zimbabwe qualify for Afcon 2021 and compete strongly for Qatar 2022.
From the outset, qualification to the World Cup looks impossible, but in reality, it can be done when one considers the quality of players Zimbabwe has.
To make this dream a reality, Zifa should get rid of Logarusic when there is still time, and get the right captain to steer the Warriors ship to the Promised Land.
The truth is that we were in favour of the Croat going through his marathon 2021 Nations Cup and 2022 World Cup road, but his behaviour has shown that one cannot plan for the future with him.
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