Chidzambwa ‘new’ warriors coach
The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) has appointed Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa as the new Warriors’ substantive coach on a one-year performance-based contract.
Zimbabwe has been without a head coach since Kalisto Pasuwa’s sacking in February following a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament in Gabon.
However, the association yesterday confirmed Chidzambwa as the new substantive coach with his contract with local Premiership side ZPC Kariba set to expire at the end of the month.
Chidzambwa’s first competitive assignment is in March next year, when Zimbabwe travel to Congo for a Group G Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Sunday Chidzambwa as the substantive senior men’s national team coach with immediate effect, on a one-year performance-based contract,” read a statement released by Zifa yesterday.
“The association is confident that the coming in of Chidzambwa, Zimbabwe’s most successful coach, will steer the Warriors towards the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations finals as he has no club football distractions.
“Zifa on its part will endeavor to provide all the necessary support to ensure success for the Warriors. Chidzambwa is the first coach to lead Zimbabwe to the Afcon finals in Tunisia in 2004 and he has won the COSAFA Castle Cup a record three times, with the latest coming in 2017.
“At club level, he led Dynamos to the Caf Champions League final in 1998 and he won three league titles with the club in 1994, 1995 and 1997. We wish him all the best on his full time return to the Warriors fold.”
With the association currently hamstrung with a huge debt, the Philip Chiyangwa-led association had resorted to hiring coaches on interim basis for a specific assignments.
Since the sacking of Pasuwa, Zifa had appointed three different coaches to lead the Warriors.
During the Afcon qualifier against Liberia in June, Zifa appointed Norman Mapeza to be in charge on a temporary basis and the former Monomotapa gaffer led the Warriors to a comfortable 3-0 victory courtesy of a Knowledge Musona hat-trick.
Chidzambwa was then entrusted to guide the side for the Cosafa Castle Cup and the former ZPC Kariba coach was able to guide Zimbabwe to their fifth title at the regional tournament.
The former Dynamos coach also presided over a failed Chan qualifying campaign with the Warriors being booted out at the hands of Namibia.
Zifa technical director Wilson Mutekede presided over last month’s friendly matches against Lesotho and Namibia.
