The Warriors' Africa Cup of Nations dream ended in ignominious surrender after a 2-1 defeat away to Cape Verde at the weekend. The Warriors will once again watch the proceedings of the biennial soccer show case on their television sets come January when the continent's biggest soccer tournament kicks off.
Fans who spoke to The Zimbabwean this week blamed ZIFA for the team's failure to qualify.
"It's cruel that we wont' be taking part in this tournament. Zifa failed to plan for this big game and they are to blame. How can they expect a team to win when they only have two days of training," said Tatenda Mudawarima.
The Warriors trained just twice before the match because of poor travel arrangements. Another fan, Memory Banhamombe, said ZIFA should resign. "The only honourable thing for ZIFA to do right now is to resign and give others with fresh ideas a chance.
They have failed because the Warriors are their baby," she said. Tinashe Gwade said Zifa failed when they appointed two coaches Norman Mapeza and Madinda Ndlovu – as they had the same powers.
"It's impossible to have two coaches for a team with the same powers. How do they coach that team? This ZIFA is incompetent and that draw against Cape Verde at home cost us a place in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Zifa has failed and its time for them to go," he said. Zimbabwe has failed to make it to the African Cup of Nations finals in the past two editions held in Angola and Ghana. They last took part in Egypt in 2006.
Post published in: Football