WARRIORS coach Ian Gorowa will stay on as boss until the end of the Africa Cup of Nations finals next February following a fruitful meeting with the Zifa Board yesterday.
WELLINGTON TONI SPORTS EDITOR
Gorowa has been operating without a contract due to Zifa’s well known financial problems and yesterday’s agreement will see him continue on a “memorandum of understanding” with the national association while they look for funding for a proper contract.
The former Ajax Cape Town and Moroka Swallows coach has been at loggerheads with Zifa, especially chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze and the sharing of the African Nations Championships (Chan) prize money where they had been promised half of the $250 000 bounty for finishing fourth in the competition in South Africa early this year.
Mashingaidze was yesterday facilitating an induction course for the Zifa secretariat at Zifa Village in Mt Hampden as his involvement in the negotiations could have hindered progress. Zifa president Cuthbert Dube was also at Zifa Village where he delivered the keynote address late in the evening.
The Warriors were promised half of the prize money by former board member Nigel Munyati, who was the head of delegation at the Chan finals in South Africa, but instead they received about $34 000. Zifa has argued they need some of the money for the 2015 Afcon qualifiers as they do not receive government funding.
Yesterday’s meeting in Harare started at 1630hrs yesterday with Gorowa in attendance with two Zifa Board members-Bernard Gwarada and women football boss Mirriam Sibanda and ended almost two hours later. Tawengwa Hara, who was tasked with bringing Gorowa to the table, joined the meeting via tele-conference from Bulawayo.
Speaking after the meeting, Sibanda said: “We discussed the issues and agreed that the coach will remain with the national team until then end of the Afcon finals in February in 2015 after which we will meet again. We came to a good understanding and we really understood each other.
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“As a coach Ian wants to do something for us and as a board we also want to ensure that football is played at the highest level in the nation.”
The Warriors will face Tanzania on May 17 before the second leg two weeks later either in Harare or Bulawayo. Should they progress, they will take on the winner between Mozambique and South Sudan.
If, again, they sail through, they will join Group F which has bitter foes Zambia, whom they knocked out of the Chan qualifiers last year, Niger and Cape Verde Islands, who denied the Warriors a place in the 2012 Afcon finals in the last group match.
The latest developments will come as a huge relief for the new Zifa Board, who must now move with speed to tie up a friendly match, possibly against Libya before the second leg against Tanzania.
Libya has indicated their willingness to play the Warriors in Harare, which will be an easier option for the cash strapped association.
Our sister paper, Standard reported last week that the North Africans had enquired about the Warriors availability: “What are your programmes for May 25 Fifa friendly match date? Do you need a game in Harare or abroad? I am waiting for your reply,” wrote Libyan match agent Mahmoud bin Saed to Zifa last week.
The Warriors are on a high after finishing fourth at the Chan finals and Gorowa can call up a few of the international stars available to him to further boost his squad.
Top striker Knowledge Musona is out while Khama Billiat is also doubtful but the current form of Edward Sadomba in Libya and Tendai Ndoro at Mpumalanga Black Aces provides further options. Onisimor Bhasera has been playing well at Bidvest Wits.
There is no doubt that Willard Katsande-the Kaizer Chiefs hardman-will form the main course of the Warriors with goalkeepers Washington Arubi and George Chigova.
