Suspended national team coach Norman Mapeza will keep on guessing about his future after revelations that the former Warriors player is yet to appear before the Justice Ahmed Ebrahim- chaired Zifa Ethics committee, eight months after it was established.
Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze yesterday said Mapeza, who was suspended with full benefits in February, has not been interviewed by the commission because “the committee is going by its roaster of interviewees which Zifa does not want to interfere with”.
The Cutherbt Dube-led Zifa cannot appoint a new substantive Warriors coach until Mapeza’s matrix is solved.
The team is currently coached by Premier Soccer League side FC Platinum mentor Rahman Gumbo. Zifa vice-president Ndumiso Gumede this week said Gumbo will continue to lead the team especially in the final round of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers set for September and October.
Zimbabwe qualified for the last round after ousting Burundi on away goals’ rule following a 2-2 tie on goal aggregate. The draw for the penultimate stage for the finals set for South Africa will be conducted next month.
Asked if Zifa were going to appoint a full time coach as was the norm all over the world, Mashingaidze said: “A substantive appointment will be done, but that will happen once the board sits down and reviews the reports of the last three matches.
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“Mapeza has not yet appeared before the Ethics Committee because the committee has its roaster which we don’t interfere with. We hope his time shall come as you know, this is not a simple matter. In some countries, it takes more than two years.”
Ebrahim and his charges have so far absolved 30 players who were implicated in Asiagate among them foreign-based players like Knowledge Musona and Ovidy Karuru.
The two players were in the eye of a storm recently when Zifa claimed that the duo were involved in match-fixing after a poor show against Guinea and Mozambique in the World Cup qualifiers.
Karuru and Musona have not responded to the allegations which might have far reaching consequences on their careers in Europe.