Five foreigners for Warriors job

Petros Kausiyo

ZIFA have deferred appointment of the new substantive Warriors coach that was widely expected this weekend, with interviews for five shortlisted foreign coaches now set for tomorrow.

Technical director Jethro Hunidzarira had earlier indicated ZIFA would this weekend unveil the new coach to take charge of the Warriors on a two-year deal.

It emerged yesterday that ZIFA had only shortlisted Spaniard Gerard Nus, veteran German Winfried Schäfer and his countrymen Michael Nees and Antoine Hey, and Brazilian Marcio Maximo Barcellos on Thursday, after whittling down their long list of applicants.

The five are now set to undergo interviews to be conducted by a panel that includes experts from ZIFA, FIFA and the Confederation of African Football.

FIFA are understood to be conducting integrity checks on the candidates, who are all holders of the UEFA Pro Licence coaching badge. In a statement, ZIFA dispelled suggestions that they had already completed the interviews and had announced Schäfer as the successful candidate, although the 74-year-old German is said to be the likely candidate.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) would like to address recent inquiries and speculation regarding the selection of a substantive coach for the Zimbabwe national senior men’s team,’’ ZIFA said.

“We wish to clarify that interviews for this critical position are yet to occur. The shortlisted candidates have been informed, and interviews are scheduled for Monday, 22 July 2024.

“After meticulously reviewing the applications and evaluating the credentials of prospective candidates, we can confirm that we are in the final stages of a process designed to identify and appoint a highly capable substantive coach.

“This appointment is of utmost importance as we seek to ensure that the Warriors are well-prepared for their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification campaign and subsequent assignments.

“We are confident that the chosen candidate will possess the expertise and vision necessary to guide our team to success.

“ZIFA remains committed to transparency and will provide further updates as the selection process progresses.’’

Although the interviews, set to be conducted virtually, are scheduled for tomorrow, it has emerged that ZIFA are taking directions from FIFA on the processes, with the world football governing body, through their head of development programmes for Africa Solomon Mudege, taking a huge interest and say in the matter.

FIFA will cater for the Warriors coach’s package and are understood to be looking at splurging US$150 000 annually on his salaries.

Mudege has been hands-on over the direction that ZIFA’s Normalisation Committee is taking at the association after extending Lincoln Mutasa and some of his colleagues’ tenure to January 2025.

“FIFA asked ZIFA to look for a coach who has achieved something before, someone with a track record and not just any other coach,” a ZIFA source said yesterday.

“Of course, this process has taken unnecessarily long considering that the applications from which the shortlist was made came in a long time ago.

“There was actually hope that the coach would have been appointed six weeks ago because ZIFA are already behind as the AFCON qualifiers are around the corner.’’

The successful candidate would have his work cut out in ensuring he puts together adequate preparations for the start of the Warriors’ 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Zimbabwe will begin their bid for a place at the Nations Cup to be staged in Morocco with an away assignment against Kenya in Nairobi in September.

Winfried Schäfer

While the interviews are scheduled for tomorrow, ZIFA sources said there are indications Schäfer will land the job.

Schäfer, reportedly a Mudege favourite, won the Africa Cup of Nations title with Cameroon in 2002.

Since that success with the Indomitable Lions, Schäfer has largely been nomadic and barely stayed long with the national teams and clubs that he has coached.

These include Thailand, Jamaica and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and clubs FC Baku of Azerbaijani and FC Baniyas.

“As it stands, it is all pointing to Schäfer getting the job on the basis that his salary demands fall within the cap set by FIFA, and he is generally liked by the bosses at FIFA,” said the sources.

“There had been hope that FIFA would avail the package to ZIFA and give them some leeway in going for either a local or foreign coach, but in this instance, none of the local coaches was shortlisted.’’

Gerard Nus

At 39, Spaniard Nus, whose claim to familiarity with the African game is having been Avram Grant’s assistant in Ghana, is the youngest of the aspiring Warriors coaches.

Nus was Grant’s assistant at the Black Stars between December 2014 and February 2017, during which the Israeli coach presided over 28 games at the West African giants.

He served as Liverpool fitness trainer during the era when the English Premiership giants were under the guidance of his countryman Rafael Benitez between July 2007 and June 2010.

From February 2022 to March 2024, Nus was an assistant to Uruguayan Gustavo Poyet in the Greece senior team.

Marcio Maximo Barcellos

The ZIFA shortlist has a South American flavour, with 62-year-old Brazilian Barcellos also bidding to coach the Warriors.

Barcellos was Guyana coach between January 2019 and December 2021, taking charge of 11 games in the Caribbean island nation.

Antoine Hey

Hey’s longest stint as national coach was with minnows Asian country Myanmar between January 2019 and January 2023, presiding over 35 games.

The 53-year-old German had earlier lasted just four matches in charge of Rwanda from March 2017 to February 2018. Earlier on, Hey was coach of Liberia’s Lone Stars (March 2008 to February 2009) for six games, soon after which he left for Kenya’s Harambee Stars for a seven-match stint between February and November 2009.

Michael Nees

Nees has very little experience with African football. The 56-year-old German has five African games under his belt that came out of coaching Seychelles for three matches from February 2003 to June 2004 and Rwanda (two games) between July and June 2007.