Zimpapers Logo

replaces Norman Mapeza who has been sidelined from taking charge of the 2013 Nations Cup qualifier against Burundi later this month after being fingered in the Asiagate scandal.
Our Harare Bureau yesterday exclusively revealed that Gumbo was set to be named the Warriors’ interim coach for the game against Burundi and also announced that David Mandigora was to be his assistant.
Mapeza and his assistant, Joey Antipas, were swept by the Asiagate tide and will now need to clear their names before an Independent Ethics Committee before they can be considered to return to the national team.
Gumbo, who is the head coach of the ambitious Zvishavane side FC Platinum, will be assisted by Mandigora who replaced Antipas in the new set up.
Warriors legend Peter Ndlovu has been given his first coaching assignment after being named the Zimbabwe Under-23 soccer team coach.
He will be assisted by Dynamos coach Callisto Pasuwa in a surprise set up given that the latter has better coaching credentials and experience.
Pasuwa is just coming from a season where he won the league and cup double while Ndlovu, despite an illustrious playing career, has yet to cut his milk teeth in coaching at any level.
Jairos Tapera, the former Chapungu United defender who guided FC Platinum into the Premiership, has been named the national Under-20 coach.
His assistant is Gunners’ assistant coach, George Madira.
All the national team managers – Sharrif Mussa (Warriors), Wellington Mpandare (Under-23) and Eddie Chivero (Under-20) – have been swept away by the tide.
Mussa has been replaced by Dynamos executive committee member, Nyika Chifamba, while Mpandare has been replaced by Chris Chitindi who bounces back after having worked with the Warriors.
Lloyd Chinawa, the former manager of defunct side Highway, is now the Under-20 manager.
The revised national technical teams’ set up has a distinct and strong Southern Region flavour with all the head coaches coming from that part of the country. Dynamos also features prominently by providing former coach, Mandigora, and executive committee member, Chifamba, to the technical teams.
Only the Warriors’ goalkeepers’ coach, Richard Tswatswa survived the changes.
Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze said the board resolved at their emergency meeting yesterday to suspend all individuals fingered in the Asiagate report as they hope for a fresh start following allegations of match-fixing which rocked the game between 2007 and 2009.
“To start with, the board resolved that all individual members fingered in the Asiagate report were suspended with immediate effect and will not be considered for national team duty until they are cleared by the independent ethics committee. The board also resolved to move forward by appointing a technical team to take charge of the game against Burundi this month.
“This is just an interim structure and we are hoping to get a substantive one after the Burundi game. Starting tomorrow (today), the coaches will be working on their call-up for the players and their training programme because we don’t want to impose anything on them.”
“Obviously when one accepts an offer it means that he knows how he is going to juggle his time.
“The good thing is the matches are not played on the same day and he will be back in time for his club,” said Mashingaidze.