By Evans Dakwa
Two weeks ago, the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) announced that a new coach for the men’s national team, the Warriors, would be appointed by May 25th. However, with only hours to go before the deadline, the public has been left in the dark about the progress of the appointment process. This lack of transparency and communication has raised questions about ZIFA’s ability to effectively manage the affairs of Zimbabwean football.
The Warriors are scheduled to play crucial matches against Lesotho and South Africa on June 7th and 11th respectively, and their opponents have already named their squads. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe remains coachless, leaving the team and fans in a state of uncertainty.
ZIFA has already given the incoming coach, whoever he is going to be enough excuses in case of failure due to their bungling of the whole process. This is a clear indication that the Association is not confident in its ability to appoint a capable coach, and is instead setting up the team for failure.
It is baffling that ZIFA knew months ago that a new coach was needed, yet they have waited until the last minute to start the appointment process. If the Association had a clear profile of the person they wanted, and the right people in the right positions, it should not have taken this long to identify and appoint a suitable candidate.
The biggest stakeholders, the fans, have been left in limbo, with no information about the progress of the appointment process. This lack of communication and transparency is unacceptable, and it is clear that ZIFA’s normalisation committee is proving to be a joke. The committee appears to be a group of confused individuals who take fans for granted, and are not taking the appointment of a new coach seriously, he fans deserve better.