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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
WARRIORS coach Norman Mapeza says he still has to iron out a few issues with Zifa before announcing his backroom staff for the Africa Cup of Nations finals next year.

The former national team midfielder and skipper was given the mandate of leading the Warriors in their fifth Afcon finals appearance, becoming the fourth coach, all local, to take charge of the national team at the finals after Charles Mhlauri, Sunday Chidzambwa and Callisto Pasuwa.

Mapeza was re-appointed Warriors coach this week having been given a four match contract to take charge of the Warriors’ Fifa World Cup finals where he managed a single draw and three losses although focus during those games was Afcon finals since the country was already out of running for qualification to the next and final round of qualifiers, having been under Croatian national Zvardo Logarusic. For that sorjourn, he picked Mandla Lulu Mpofu and Taurayi Mangwiro as his two assistants and Energy Murambadoro as the goalkeepers coach.

Speaking to Chronicle Sport, Mapeza said he won’t make any announcements regards his lieutenants until he finalises “a few issues with Zifa.”

“At the moment I still need to discuss a few issues with Zifa before we can talk of who will be who in the set up, we still have other things to finalise then I can proceed from there but for now, I can not,” said Mapeza.

While he did not disclose the issues to be discussed with his national employers, it all points to finer lines of the contract, including that of his assistants.

Zifa has on previous and numerous occasions found itself at loggerheads with it’s coaches of none fullfilment of contractial obligations and Mapeza has first hand experience on that front.

The Warriors are set to go into camp two days before Christmas where 40 players will be fighting for the 23 places who will make the flight to Cameroon.

The provisional 40 men squad is made up of local and foreign based players who based on Mapeza’s philosophy, all have an equal chance of making it to the travelling 23.

Meanwhile, Mapeza has described as sad reports that he does not want to work with former Manchester City hitman Benjan Mwaruwari as one of his assistants.

In what has been described as covet operation known as ‘operation dira jecha’ the masterminds reportedly want to bring turmoil in the national team camp after failing to get joy on their plans to decide what goes on in camp and influence which players make the trip to Cameroon. The plan now is to create perceived animosity between Mapeza and Mwaruwari.

“It’s so sad, who has heard me saying I can’t work with Benjie? Can someone stand up and say he or she heard me saying I can’t work with Benjie, this is sad. I suspect we have people who have sinister minds who look and see themselves as kingmakers on national team issues but sadly some of us are clear, this is Zimbabwe, our nation. The whole nation can’t suffer just because we need to please a few individuals,” said a clearly livid Mapeza.