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Rahman Gumbo

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
CHICKEN Inn  head coach and former Warriors coach Rahman Gumbo is today expected to be unveiled as the Warriors’ Cosafa squad assistant and African Championships (Chan) head coach while the other assistants for the representative national sides will also be named.

Zifa last week named veteran Sunday Chidzambwa as the head coach for the Cosafa squad with Moses Chunga named as the coach of the Under-17 side while Godfrey Tamirepi and Tafadzwa Mashiri will be in charge of the national Under-23 and Under-15 respectively.

Norman Mapeza and his assistants, Tonderayi Ndiraya and Mandla Mpofu will lead the Warriors in the Total Afcon qualifiers.

The Zimbabwe Cosafa squad will be announced today ahead of the start of the tournament on June 25, according to manager Wellington Mpandare.

“Assistant coaches for the representative national sides will be announced tomorrow (today) as well as the Chan head coach. At the moment we have no names,” said Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela.

Sources however, said Gumbo, a member of the Zifa High Performance Committee, was the odds on favourite to be given the tag and for continuity and cohesion purposes, Chidzambwa will name him as his second lieutenant for the Cosafa tournament where the Warriors will be seeking to lift the title for the fifth time, a record.

“Gumbo will lead the Chan squad which takes on Namibia in the qualifiers on July 14 and with the respect that the two coaches have for each other, Chidzambwa will appoint him his right hand man,” said a source.

The Chan tournament is reserved for players plying their trade on the African continent while the Cosafa tournament is open to all players, within and outside Africa.

Zimbabwe will reach a special milestone at the 2017 Cosafa Castle Cup when they become the first country to play 50 matches in the regional championship.

The Warriors’ second Group B clash against Madagascar at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace on June 28 will see them bring up a half-century of games, to be matched later in the competition by Zambia.

The Zambians are actually one match ahead of Zimbabwe on 49 already, but they only enter this year’s tournament at the quarterfinal stage when they take on Botswana on July 1.

Zimbabwe also lead in terms of number of wins with 31 from their 48 matches to date, six more than Zambia, who have the next highest, 25.

And the Warriors have also been the most prolific side in terms of goals scored with 79. — @skhumoyo2000.