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Takaendesa Jongwe

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS coach Callisto Pasuwa has identified fired former assistant coach Nation Dube’s successor amid sensational claims that the former Dynamos coach has settled for his boss, Zifa technical director Takaendesa Jongwe.

Jongwe’s position makes him the boss of all the coaches in the country, including Pasuwa, as his main brief at Zifa is mainly the technical development of coaches where he now and again produces a coaching syllabus.

Pasuwa confirmed on Wednesday that he had forwarded a name to Zifa, but declined to divulge the assistant’s identity.

“We have forwarded the name to Zifa and we await their position and recommendations,” said Pasuwa.

Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa referred inquiries back to Pasuwa when reached for comment on the identity of the new assistant coach.

“Talk to Pasuwa,” Chiyangwa said.

Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela was also coy about the new assistant’s identity.

“I can confirm that Pasuwa has given us a name, but I can’t reveal it until told to so by the executive committee,” said Gwesela.

However, well placed sources said the new man was Jongwe.

“It’s shocking really that Jongwe will be the assistant coach to Pasuwa, who is in all essence his junior in terms of the coaching hierarchy in the country. It’s like having a provincial education director becoming a deputy head of a school on the recommendations of the school’s head,” said the source.

Dube was fired on allegations that he was part of a match fixing syndicate that was planning to manipulate Zimbabwe’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Swaziland set for Mbabane on Good Friday, but the gaffer has maintained his innocence. He has even offered investigators all his four mobile phones for them to go through his calls and messages, both SMS and WhatsApp.

Zifa have since ordered Dube’s club employers Hwange FC to suspend him until the finalisation of his case.