Against Malawi and Swaziland, the Warriors should have it easy, but a world of difference lies between what SHOULD and what WILL happen when it comes to Zimbabwe and soccer. Uncertainty!
Instead of weighing the quality of the opposition against the talent the country has, many times a soccer fan is left praying against the usual centrifugal forces’ power to once again rock the boat and torpedo the campaign.
With Zifa and their shenanigans, it is always difficult to hope, but then one remembers it is hope that should give one the strength to remain alive.
So again, we are hopeful that this time, Zifa will not stop us in our tracks; once again, we are hopeful that a substantive coach will be appointed in time to begin preparations and once again, we are hopeful that both the coach and the players will be well-remunerated and supported in every other aspect for maximum preparedness and performance.
Should all that be met, it would not be difficult for the Warriors to easily negotiate the world of “uncertainty” in their transition from the world of “should” to that of “will” and bang! We are in Gabon, come 2017.
However, with Cuthbert Dube and his Zifa, we might not know when our “disbanded” Warriors will be reassembled, when the next coach will be appointed, who the national team’s sponsor will be and when the next international friendly will be held in preparation for the qualifiers.
In serious footballing nations, a national team coach is replaced with a caretaker mentor soon as they are released from duty and a substantive one appointed within weeks. In Zimbabwe, the clock seems to tick a very slower pace and that is why there has still been no replacement for Ian Gorowa eight months after he quit his job.
In a nutshell, The Warriors could have received an easy draw against Guinea, Swaziland and Malawi, but with the lackadaisical approach to the game being shown by Zifa, qualifying for Gabon might prove to be another hit-and-miss proposition.
Post published in: Football