By Evans Dakwa
In the early days of his career, Norman Mapeza was touted as the future of Zimbabwean coaching, a time when the fortunes of veterans like Sunday Chidzambwa were waning. Fast forward a decade later, the man has flattered to deceive. He continuously bounces back to take charge of the Warriors, even when it’s clear that a new voice and new tactics are needed. Only ZIFA can answer why. I have nothing against the former Warriors Captain, but I feel that his tactical acumen is not what we need at the moment. He has had his chance, and it may be time to move on.
We lost 3-1 against Kenya in the final of the four-team tournament held in Lilongwe, Malawi. The match was unnecessarily ill-tempered, considering it was more of a friendly tournament used to assess and prepare teams for upcoming competitive World Cup and Afcon Qualifiers.
What these two games have shown me as a soccer analyst is that we are not yet there as a country, not only tactically but also in terms of the seriousness needed to take our football to the international level we aspire to. When we compare ourselves to one of the teams we will be playing soon, like South Africa, it’s like we are worlds apart. When you look at Bafana Bafana, you can see a national coach and association in sync, with a clear plan that is apparent to everyone. The work being put in is there for all to see.
It’s so sad that everything I watched over the weekend comes back to haunt ZIFA. I am very sure that we currently have the best pool of talent in a very long time. The players scattered around competitive leagues, the British brigades, you can tell that they are well-trained with the right coaches, infrastructure, and everything needed for them to succeed as footballers. The future of our national team can only be bright. So what is the missing link?
I believe they just need an association with a clear footballing plan. They need the right person at the helm of the national team for them to flourish. I can bet my last dollar that, given the right approach by ZIFA, the right environment, and the right coach, these guys can take us even to the World Cup, maybe not in 2026, but definitely by 2030.
But again, we have a football association that is led by a normalisation committee doing very little that can be recognised as normal, according to me. They are continuing from where Felton Kamambo left off.
For how long can a national team continue to be led by interim coaches? What is the purpose? And what is the plan they are following that necessitates the appointment of interim coaches indefinitely?
Norman Mapeza was appointed at the 11th hour, and I doubt he even selected the team. If he did, fair enough. But with competitive matches in mind and the matches in Malawi meant to prepare us for that, how does Mapeza fit into the bigger plan? Are ZIFA indirectly telling us that he is the man for the job again?
ZIFA has no clear footballing philosophy that a new coach can follow. If it exists, it is only for theoretical purposes because it is not visible in practice. Any coach who takes charge of South Africa or Brazil knows the style, and it is imprinted by the technical team of the association. We cannot say the same about our Zimbabwean situation, which makes Mapeza’s two-game appointment absurd.
It doesn’t make sense for ZIFA to continuously give us interim coaches. Successful teams have continuity. If they really want Mapeza, they should just give him the job so that he can concentrate on the team. Right now, whoever comes in, be it Mapeza or anyone else, already has a reason to fail.
Like I said, I have nothing against Mapeza, but I strongly feel that the man has had his time, and his record is not impressive. We were embarrassed by Malawi the last time he was in charge at Afcon, in a game where he was tactically exposed. He may be the best locally, but if we are serious about taking our national team to the heights every soccer fan yearns for, we need a new broom. Modern football is evolving, and I feel Mapeza belongs to the past unless he can somehow upgrade himself accordingly.
The team went to Malawi to assess new players and prepare a team for the World Cup qualifiers. We had several new players that needed assessment, but did we achieve that? It was like we were playing a World Cup final where there is no room for error. What assessment was Mapeza doing with his team setup and questionable substitutions? In games where you could make a minimum of 12 substitutions, why did Mapeza make fewer changes? What was the purpose of inviting players to warm the bench in two friendly matches?
Training and in-game performances are usually different, especially at the international level for new players. The Malawi tournament was nothing but another missed opportunity to assess new players and try new combinations. It felt like Mapeza had different instructions than what we were told was the purpose of the tournament. The temper he showed, leading to his red card against Kenya, is indicative of a man with “win at all costs” instructions.
For me, Zimbabwe’s best talent at the moment lies in midfield. Players like Munetsi, Rinomhota, Maswanhise, Musona, Macaulay, Kadewere, and Nakamba, when fit, are exceptional. Ideally, we should be playing to the strengths of these players, but I did not see that in Malawi. The team was ultra-defensive, and it showed against Kenya when we went the entire first half without a shot on target. Throughout the game, we had more red cards than shots on target.
With three goalkeepers in the team, how on earth did we play two games with the same goalie, whom the coaches know very well? Of the five goals we conceded in the two games, the goalkeeper could have done much better in four of them. His positioning was questionable. At the end of the four-team tournament, I struggle to pinpoint the positives out of it, but the glaring technical deficiencies. Mapeza may be trailblazing in the local league, but he does not look like the man to manage this talent-laden team. It may be time to end the Mapeza experiment.