The technical sub-committee is chaired by Zifa vice-president Kenny Marange, a retired referee, and includes the association’s board members Benedict Moyo, Solomon Mugavazi, Methembe Ndlovu, Gift Banda and Twine Phiri.

While the technical committee only briefed the Zifa board members last Friday about their recommendation for Saintfiet to take over, and even left the case open for a veto in the event of opposition, we can reveal today that the 37-year-old had already been offered the job TWO WEEKS prior to that meeting.

The new developments will certainly cast a shadow on the transparency of the whole recruitment drive, where other candidates were chosen even before others had been given a chance to be interviewed, and will throw weight behind those opposing the recommendations.

Until now, the technical committee has been giving the impression that it undertook a thorough and professional recruitment exercise, spread over 53 days and involving 15 prospective candidates, and Saintfiet emerged out of it as the best qualified man to take charge of the Warriors.

There has been widespread criticism, inside and outside the country, over the technical committee’s decision to ignore Mapeza, who was handling the Warriors on a caretaker basis, and leave him out of the team’s recommended structures with Madinda Ndlovu and Friday Phiri coming in as assistant coaches.

Given that a lot has been said about Mapeza’s lack of qualifications, a convenient chorus that has been used to disqualify his candidature by the technical committee, the latest revelations will show that his interview with the committee was a no-show since a candidate had already been identified. His qualifications, or lack of them, in this case simply became immaterial as — given that a draft contract had already been sent to one of the coaches vying for the job — whatever Mapeza discussed, or showed, to the technical committee to support his case, was irrelevant.

Mapeza seemingly became the sacrificial pawn whose image was only used — or rather abused — by a committee that needed to give justification to an exercise where the candidate had already been chosen.

His interview with the Zifa technical committee came exactly a week after his Warriors won a point in Liberia.

This will certainly confirm fears, among those who have been supporting Mapeza’s candidature, that the 38-year-old former Warriors’ skipper was never part of the plans of a technical committee that appeared to have long decided on their candidate before interviewing him.

Crucially, the developments will also bring to the fore big questions about the transparency — or rather lack of it — of a recruitment drive that was fed to the public as a process that was above board, which would pick the best candidate, when — as it is increasingly turning out — the field was compromised. That the decision to send a draft contract to Saintfiet, which effectively confirmed that the technical committee had settled on the Belgian for the job, was done just three days after the Warriors’ 1-1 draw against Liberia in Monrovia, is also set to whip emotions among those who have been backing Mapeza’s candidature.

For this is certain to be viewed by that constituency as yet another sign that the technical committee, in its fierce determination to appoint Sainfiet, blinded itself from the crucial events from Monrovia, the impact of that result on the remainder of that campaign and the good work done by the coaches on that tour of duty.

In short, in the wake of the stunning revelations, Mapeza and his crew — which included assistant coach Joey Antipas and goalkeepers’ coach Brenna Msiska — were merely place holders, during that big game in Liberia, and the product of their collective efforts on that tour of duty would have no bearing in the final decision related to the appointment of a substantive coaching crew.

Yesterday, The Herald obtained documentation which proved that, contrary to the public show that has been put by the technical committee painting their recruitment drive as a transparent exercise, the playing field was certainly not level for all the prospective candidates.

We can reveal today that a draft contract, which gave Saintfiet a one-year contract renewable depending on performance, was sent to the Belgian coach on September 8 this year — EXACTLY THREE DAYS BEFORE THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE INTERVIEWED MAPEZA ON SEPTEMBER 11.

The communication between the technical committee and Saintfiet on September 8 shows confirmation of his appointment as the Warriors’ substantive coach.

“THE EMPLOYEE IS HEREBY OFFERED THE POSITION OF TEAM COACH FOR ZIMBABWE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION,” read the correspondence.

“The contract shall be for a period of one (1) year, and shall be subject to renewal upon satisfactory performance on the part of the Coach.

“The contract can be terminated upon one (1) calendar month notice by either side.”

Saintfiet’s duties were also spelt out.

“The Coach shall be required to:

l Observe and subject himself to the Rules, Regulations and By-Laws of Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa), Federation of International Football

Association (Fifa), Confederation of African Football (Caf) and any other Association, League or Organisation which Zifa shall be a member to such an extent as Zifa shall be bound by such Rules, Regulations and By-laws.

l Give technical assistance to Team in a manner that is efficient, professional and to the best of his ability at all material times.

l Attend all training sessions, soccer matches, or other necessary Association functions at all material times. The Coach may only be excused from such attendance if prior permission is obtained from the Chief Executive Officer to that effect.

l Ensure that the players adhere to the terms and conditions of their contract with Zifa particularly in connection with players’ attendance to the Association’s training sessions and matches.

l Advise the team manager on the players that he wishes to use and retain at the end or just before the beginning of national team’s engagements.”

The draft contract also stipulated that “the coach shall receive a salary of $ . . . per month.

This excludes all proceeds received from participating in competitive matches outside Zimbabwe and friendly matches.

“Apart from the aforesaid salary, the coach shall also be using a company vehicle which will be surrendered to the Association upon resignation. Monthly allocation of fuel is also available.”

Revelations that the technical committee effectively settled on Saintfiet and sent him a draft contract, three days before they met Mapeza for an interview for the same job, will send a signal that the committee’s meeting with the former Warriors’ skipper was just a media show meant to give credibility to the tainted process.

Saintfiet arrived in Harare on Monday night, but his appointment has already faced resistance from a number of quarters and the media conference, where he was scheduled to be unveiled as the Warriors’ coach, was cancelled at the last minute on Saturday.

Zifa president Cuthbert Dube wants his board to make further consultations before a final decision can be reached, on the Warriors’ coach, and appears unhappy that Mapeza was not even considered for any of the posts within the technical team.

Mapeza enjoys strong support from a mainstream media, still nursing the wounds of a failed experiment with Brazilian coach Valinhos, in a football landscape where previous flirtations with foreign coaches has brought very little in terms of value for the Warriors who qualified for their two Nations Cup finals under the guidance of local coaches.

Dube yesterday told ZBC’s Sfm radio station that there were a number of issues that needed to be tackled before the Warriors’ coach could be announced and he would not be rushed into making a decision that could backfire on his leadership the way Valinhos’ appointment dogged the previous board.

The Zifa president said key issues like the coach’s salary, accommodation, transport and general welfare needed to be addressed first and, with regards to Saintfiet, there was need for the board to also look at his contract with the Namibian Football Association and the possible legal implications of entering into a marriage with him.

Dube also told Sfm radio that it was important for his board to look at accusations that some of the coaches, who were recommended for certain posts, did not apply for those positions and others had just been drafted into the set-up because of their links to members of the technical committee.

The Namibian Football Association did not give the Zifa technical committee authority to negotiate with their coach, a key procedure for one who is under contract, and — given the clandestine handling of the case — the local football leadership risk being dragged before Fifa for tapping.

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