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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

A covet operation to destabilize the Warriors camp has been exposed in which the masterminds want to sow seeds of detest between coach Norman Mapeza and Benjan Mwaruwari who is set to be one of the assistants.

Sources last night told Chronicle Sport that those bent on causing turmoil in the national team are apparently working with individuals in the Zifa secretariat to spread the gospel that Mapeza doesn’t want to work with the former Manchester City hitman, a plan that has also apparently reached Mapeza’s ears.

“These people always want to control things in the national team, they see themselves as kingmakers, people who decide what happens in the national team and even which players must go to Afcon. They were not enthused with the initial appointment of Mapeza which was made worse by Mapeza’s comments that his philosophy was to pick players on merit (form) not where they were based or past performances,” said a source who is very privy to the ‘operation dira jecha’ plan.

“So, these guys were hoping Nomara won’t get the job for Afcon and now with reports that Benjie, whom they also see as someone who will not buy in to their project, is set to join the bench, they clearly realize it’s no longer business as usual hence this operation they call dira jecha’. Obviously, the suspension of the Zifa board is the main cause of their misery,” said the source.

Mapeza described reports that he didn’t want to work with Mwaruwari as sad.

“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.