Give Tembo the job and trust the process

By Newsday | Jun 3, 2026 | 3 Min read

THE script for The Warriors’ future is being written right now and after last week’s Unity Cup in London, it is clear who should hold the pen.

Interim coach Kaitano Tembo, thrust into the hot seat following the sudden departure of Romanian tactician Marian Marinica, has passed his audition with flying colours.

By guiding Zimbabwe to a third-place finish in the four-team tournament, Tembo did not just deliver a bronze medal — he delivered a blueprint for the future.

Zimbabwe’s tournament sheet will read one win and one loss, capped off by a 1-0 victory over India in the third and fourth-place playoff, courtesy of a clinical first-half penalty conversion by Prince Dube. But evaluating this campaign purely on results misses the entire point. The Unity Cup was never about immediate silverware; it was about laying a foundation.

What stood out most in London was Tembo’s tactical bravery. Despite a 2-0 defeat to eventual champions Nigeria in the semi-finals, the interim gaffer showed immense courage by fielding an incredibly youthful backline. Deploying Corbin Mthunzi, Shane Maroodza, Munashe Garananga and Jordan Zemura against African giants was a bold statement.

This is exactly how a sustainable national team is built. Under immense pressure, the youthful defence did remarkably well, with teenagers like Mthunzi and Maroodza playing far beyond their years.

Tembo didn't stop there.

The starting lineup against Nigeria featured six players aged 25 and under, with Sean Fusire, Tawanda Chirewa and Jonah Fabisch given the nod to start. By the time the final whistle blew against India, The Warriors had eight players aged 24 and under on the pitch.

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We caught a glimpse of Highlanders' breakout star Mongameli Tshuma, while Brentford development goalkeeper Marley Tavaziva earned his first start and a memorable clean sheet.

Local talent Abubakar Moffat proved his worth after debuting off the bench against Nigeria and 23-year-old defender Isheanesu Mauchi also gained vital minutes.

The only advice we can proffer is that Zifa and the technical team should have gone a step further and picked a purely Under-23 squad to prepare for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.

It was also a pity that 19-year-old Finland-based Prosper Padera did not get game time. These are the starlets who should have absorbed all available minutes ahead of loyal servants like captain Marvelous Nakamba, who, at 32, is inevitably entering the twilight of his international career.

Of course, a house cannot be built entirely with fresh timber. The invaluable spine provided by senior players like Marshall Munetsi, Prince Dube, Gerald Takwara and Daniel Msendami remains vital to stabilising these emerging prospects.

However, Tembo’s willingness to prioritise blooding new talent over chasing hollow friendly wins is exactly the paradigm shift Zimbabwean football needs.

He correctly identified that the tournament was about expanding The Warriors' pool ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.

There will always be sceptics who argue that Tembo lacks the pedigree for a permanent national team job. We strongly beg to differ.

Chasing low-grade, mercenary foreign coaches — whom Zifa historically struggles to remunerate adequately — is a tired cycle that yields the same mediocre results.

Look at the tournament winners, Nigeria. They brought a formidable second-string side that possessed the same tactical quality as their first team, but with far more hunger. That depth is what Zimbabwe must replicate.

With a wealth of young talent emerging both locally and in the diaspora, combined with our established stars, qualifying for Afcon should be well within reach.

But we must look further down the road.

The true target must be the 2030 World Cup and the Unity Cup gave us a tantalising glimpse of how to get there.

The goals of the UK tour were achieved. Winning the whole thing would have been a fantastic bonus, but the real victory was structural.

It was a job well done by Tembo and Zifa. The Zimbabwe Football Association must now end the speculation, abandon the expensive foreign search and hand Kaitano Tembo a substantive contract.

Give him the job and the tools. The future is beckoning.