In what should have not come as a shock, following the senior men’s national team performance lately, Zifa disbanded the Warriors last week and promised to roll out a strategic plan that would place much emphasis on the development of junior national teams.
The move, announced by Zifa president Cuthbert Dube in Parliament, came just two days after former coach Ian Gorowa tendered his resignation, citing a number of hindering factors that thwarted his bid to try and revive the team.
Dube also announced the dissolution of all national football teams, following an emergency meeting held at the Zifa Village last Wednesday.
However, Chidzambga, the first coach to take Zimbabwe to the African Nations Cup finals in Tunisia a decade ago, said he was shocked by the move, which he said came without the wide consultations needed before such a giant decision.
“The national team has not performed impressively during the past few years, but I still believe the move to disband them came rather shockingly,” said Chidzambga.
Widely viewed as Zimbabwe’s most successful coach after the now-late Reinhardt Fabisch, Chidzambga said Zifa needed to consider other football stakeholders first.
“There should have been widespread consultations with other stakeholders that include the current and former players, sponsors and the fans before this shock move. The national team is not always about Zifa, but concerns a number of bodies and individuals and those were not consulted when it was dissolved.”
Chidzambga, hardly employable in Zimbabwe due to an “Asia-gate” life ban handed to him by Zifa two years ago, said he was still willing to help in setting up a new national team, or coaching a Premier League club.
Post published in: Football