SERBIAN national Kostadin Papic has declared interest in the Warriors job and his handlers have confirmed the former Eswatini national team coach and ex-South African giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs gaffer has applied for the senior national team hot seat.
Papic (63) applied for the Warriors’ job through Elite Sport Management Agency and his manager Moses Muzumara yesterday confirmed that they have approached Zifa.
“Kindly note that we have officially applied for our client coach Kosta Papic for the role of Zimbabwe senior men’s national team head coach. He was previously shortlisted the last time (Zdravko) Logarušić was appointed. Having coached the likes of Edelbert Dinha at Pirates, for instance, he knows the quality and determination of the Zimbabwean players and believes he can achieve a lot with the team,” Muzumara said.
Zimbabwe makes a return to international football after Fifa recently lifted an international ban on Zifa. The national football governing body was suspended for government interference in football matters.
The Warriors were drawn against Nigeria, South Africa, Benin Rwanda and Lesotho in the World Cup qualifiers which start in November.
The Warriors will soon be embarking on their African Nations Championships (Chan) and Fifa World Cup qualifiers and the normalisation committee, appointed to restore normalcy in local football, recently flighted advertisements for all the national teams’ coaches.
Sikhumbuzo Ndebele, a member of the normalisation committee yesterday said: “The closing date for the applications was today (yesterday) at 9am. The process thereafter will be made known to the media and the nation through the Zifa media people. I am certain there are mechanisms for that.”
Last week, chairperson of the normalisation committee Lincoln Mutasa and Ndebele said a technical committee to deal with interviewing the coaches and making recommendations would be appointed and the Warriors coach will be revealed by month end.
Veteran former Dynamos’ coach Shepherd Murape has been linked with the Warriors’ job but it could not established if he has applied.
According to his profile, Papic has 14 years of European coaching experience where he coached FC Proleter, FC Cement, FC Mladost and FC Backa in the Serbian top league.
In Africa, he coached Eswatini in 2020 and has been at the helm at Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Black Leopards in South Africa, Enyimba and Enugu in Nigeria and Hearts of Africa and Young Africans among other clubs in Africa.
Papic is holder of a Uefa A coaching badge among other numerous qualifications.