The Sunday Mail
Ishemunyoro Chingwere —
GIBSON MAHACHI knows just how much Zifa can be a pain in the behind, having worked closely with the soccer governing body as Kallisto Pasuwa’s manager when the latter coached the Zimbabwe senior men’s national soccer team.
The respected football agent will also be in the picture if Zifa – as is widely expected – offer Norman Mapeza the Warriors job on a full-time basis.
Mahachi is also Mapeza’s manager.
Despite watching Pasuwa go unpaid for the last nine months of his reign, Mahachi insists he will not dissuade Mapeza from taking up the national team job.
“I don’t think there is any normal local coach who can say no when offered the Warriors job,” said Zimbabwe’s super-agent, who also represents the legendary coach Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa and several top players.
“The fact that Norman has taken the job on an interim basis as requested shows that he is willing to serve the nation as he has done before. Issues of money can always be discussed.”
During Pasuwa’s tenure, Mahachi was accused of using his proximity to the then Warriors mentor to influence team selection.
He was accused of pushing for the inclusion of players from his stable so that they can earn national team caps and become more marketable to foreign clubs.
Mahachi laughed off the allegations as baseless, arguing that he represents some of the best talent in the land and such players were naturally up for national team selection.
“I cannot be seen to be influencing any of my clients in anyway as this defeats professionalism and destroys the brand that I am building. These coaches I represent are also professionals, they cannot be influenced by anyone including myself in anyway.
“As long as you work hard and try to establish yourself in a certain field, like I am doing, there will always be criticism – justifiable and unjustifiable.
“However, I have never read much into the criticism that kept coming my way. That actually makes me stronger as a person and gives me the hunger to do more.”
