MANICA Diamonds coach Patrick Mandizha has raised concern over what he believes is a growing shortage of quality strikers in local football, saying the country's junior football structures need urgent revitalisation to produce prolific goal scorers.
Mandizha made the remarks after his side's goalless draw against Bulawayo Chiefs, a match he felt Manica Diamonds created clear-cut chances to secure victory but were let down by poor finishing at Barbourfields Stadium on Monday.
"I feel they were lucky, even if they didn't deserve to win the point. With the way we played, I think we deserved a much better result than a draw," he said.
"We created more and better chances of scoring than Bulawayo Chiefs. With a bit of clinical finishing in front of goal, we could have scored a lot of goals."
The former Shabanie Mine and Black Rhinos striker said Zimbabwe’s lack of prolific forwards was not an isolated issue but a broader national challenge.
“We no longer have good strikers in the country,” he said.
Mandizha, who also played for FC Platinum (then Mimosa), pointed to the decline of structured junior competitions as a key factor behind the shortage of natural goal scorers.
"During our time as juniors, there was competition at the junior level, even at schools. I believe the country can do better by introducing junior football competitions,” he said.
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Mandizha's concerns echo similar sentiments previously expressed by former Warriors coach and Scottland FC gaffer Norman Mapeza, who has repeatedly called for stronger grassroots development systems to nurture attacking talent.
Zimbabwe has in recent years struggled to produce consistent goal scorers at both club and national team levels, with coaches increasingly urging investment in youth football structures.
Despite the disappointment, Mandizha said he was satisfied with his team’s overall performance, praising their execution of the game plan.
"Of course, I'm not happy with the result, but I'm happy with the performance. The guys continue to perform as we demand. Only the finishing up front is lacking a bit, but I'm happy with the performance," he said.
Mandizha added that he remained optimistic about improvement as the season progresses and urged supporters to remain patient with the team.
