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Innocent Kurira, [email protected] 

THE burning question in local football right now is whether Norman Mapeza’s training methods are too much to handle. 

Jordan Zemura isn’t the only one voicing concerns. The Warriors defender joins a chorus of players who’ve questioned Mapeza’s emphasis on physicality, particularly with a lack of proper recovery plans for subsequent matches. 

This isn’t new territory for Mapeza. Former Chippa United goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb previously alleged Mapeza’s training sessions had players running “like headless chickens” during his short spell with the South African club.

“There was a new structure and everything changed. We started running like headless chickens. We started losing our manner of goalkeeping,” Tignyemb told Soccer Laduma.

Mapeza faces renewed criticism after Zemura alleged “military-style” physical training and a generally “unprofessional” atmosphere during the Four Nations Tournament in Malawi.

A source close to Zemura, who requested anonymity, claimed the “British Brigade” (presumably referring to Zimbabwean players based in Europe) felt unwelcome in Malawi.

Mapeza is known for his strict control over players both on and off the field. This approach yielded results: he secured his first league title with Monomotapa in 2008, followed by three more with FC Platinum (2017, 2018, 2022). 

But is success enough? Former Warriors player Zenzo Moyo believes the situation could have been managed better.

“The training methods in Europe are different from here in Africa. What should have happened is the player should have talked to the coach in person and they solved their issues. To have to take this to the public is so wrong. You also have to factor in the fact that these guys in Europe have already played so many games, they are about to conclude their league campaigns yet in Zimbabwe we are just starting our season. 

“The way to design a programme for the European guys and the local players already has to be different. As a country, we should take a leaf from Senegal. They have players playing in top leagues in Europe but they still have respect for their local coach yet they play for the best managers and coaches in the World,” said Moyo. 

Football coach, Garthly Chipuka concurred with Moyo. 

“The player may have pointed to a real problem which is there and needs to be looked at. However, the channel used to highlight the anomalies is wrong. Those are issues that should be dealt with in-house. Of course, these players get better training methods and tactics at the top clubs but they also have to adapt to the situation when in Africa. I feel the coach was also not supposed to respond to the accusation,” said Chipuka. 

In his response to Zemura, Mapeza said the player may have been upset by the fact that he did not get much game time in Malawi. 

“Maybe the problem was that he didn’t play as much as he would have liked. I told him ‘Jordan, you have changed a little bit in terms of your attitude. Last year you were pushing, you wanted to play, what is going on?’

“That’s what I asked him and he said no coach I am fine but I will sort it out. That’s what I spoke to him about. I am a coach and I can see when a player is having challenges,” said Mapeza. 

Mapeza addressed his decision to substitute the player during the Zambia match and his reasoning for omitting him from the starting line-up against Kenya.

“I had seen him and I wanted someone who is more like a midfielder. The formation we were playing didn’t have natural wingers. He plays left-back most of the time, like the other game that I saw him playing against Inter-Milan.

“I talk to everybody. I told him I want you to play here and he said it’s okay coach. Then I substituted him. So does he mean he didn’t want to be substituted? Is he now a Maradona? That’s the problem at the end of the day. To be honest with you, I respect football players but I believe football is all about teamwork.

“It’s not about an individual. It’s not about Zemura, Marshall Munetsi, or Knowledge Musona. It’s about collective effort. That he did not play the second game was more tactical than anything else,” argued Mapeza.

@innocentskizoe