The Sunday Mail
Denford Mutangamira
I AM excited by the prospect of having to work with Peter De Villiers.
The last couple of months have been very difficult for me and the boys, as people were talking about who will be our next coach yet there was very little news filtering down to us the players.
As the captain, the boys asked me a lot of questions about what was going on. Since I was also in the dark I urged the lads to be patient and keep working on their game.
After a while, we got to hear about a four man shortlist and were impressed with the calibre of coaches who had expressed interest in the Sables coach position. However, if I am to be totally honest, everyone was praying that Peter de Villiers would be the next coach. It looked like a long shot but we said anything can happen; and we are thrilled to have him join us.
PDV has got that international exposure that we need and will hopefully bring about change.
Change in our mindset, in our structure and change in the way we do things. I truly believe that he is the right person for the job, and the right person to guide us going forward.
As far as the Africa Gold Cup and the time factor are concerned, it is not really a big issue for us. Yes, we do not have enough time as the tournament is less six months away and we would have loved to have begun our preparations months ago, but is there ever such a thing as ‘enough time’.
All we need to do is focus on the right areas, polish up our game and go out there on a mission to represent our country with distinction.
The Peter de Villiers and Brendan Dawson combination is something I am excited about and really looking forward to. Apart from both coaches being very knowledgeable people, they are both passionate, have a lot of energy and a positive mindset.
I expect them to motivate the boys and once that is done, everyone will be positive, relaxed and ready to give their all for the Zimbabwean cause.
The Zimbabwe Sables captain Denford Mutangamira was speaking to The Sunday Mail’s Deputy Sports Editor Tinashe Kusema in Harare on February 7, 2018.
