
The whole of last week's talk was on whether Michael Nees should be allowed to stay on as Warriors coach after the surprise, if not shock 1-0 defeat to the Crocodiles of Lesotho.
The matter has divided football followers with one school of thought being that nothing will come out of Afcon 2025 as long as Nees is in charge while others think otherwise.
The majority, though, are the ones who no longer want Nees anywhere close to the Warriors for longer and wanted the Germany national fired as soon as yesterday or soon after the Lesotho match.
They are arguing that going to Afcon with this Nees guy would be a huge gamble and Zimbabwe risks losing all its group matches for the first time since their maiden appearance at Afcon 2004.
The Warriors are in a tough Afcon 2025 group alongside Angola, Egypt and South Africa, and the top two teams qualify automatically to the second round and with Nees there are doubts that even a point will come out of it.
Some of the football goers had even long before the Lesotho debacle been shouting that Nees had failed in rejuvenating the Warriors and should be asked to vacate his position before the situation got worse.
Surely, it is becoming increasingly boring that each and every time the story is about the future of Nees but with Zimbabwe preparing for Afcon 2025 — and the team losing heavily — the topic cannot be ignored.
Zifa president Nqobile Magwizi has announced that they are reviewing Nees' performance since the day his board took over office from the normalisation committee on January 25.
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Magwizi had prior to the latest developments shut out the world and the noise with regards to the Nees debate but the pressure seems to have been too much especially after the Lesotho loss.
Under the period of Nees' performance review, the Warriors played six matches — won none, drew three and lost three — not a good exam report for a coach, who is earning US$10 000 a month.
His player management ability too is also under review with word that his team has been split into camps while he sits there watching.
Honestly, we are not sure whether we have also joined the 'Nees Must Go' bandwagon, but what we are sure and confident of is that the Warriors would not have been in this bad state had the NC not fired Baltermar Brito.
We still believe that if Zifa are to part ways with Nees, the best option would be to extend a hand to Brito to return since he knows the players and the Zimbabwean environment well.
Or alternatively, Zifa could visit Klause Dieter-Pagels, the Germany coach who popularised the tik-taka style with the Warriors and played a significant role in the Mighty Warriors' qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games.
There, however, is a school of thought that is very much opposed to the sacking of Nees' contending that the timing is wrong with only two months to Afcon 2025.
However, others argue that we fired Zdravko Logarusic months before Afcon and some teams have even gone to international competitions with a coach appointed a week before — and succeeded.
The decision whether we go to Afcon with Nees or a new coach lies on Magwizi's shoulders but the majority would prefer a coach they have little faith in than one — like Nees — whom they know they are doomed before the tournament even starts.
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