The sudden decision by the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) to demand a CAF A badge for all coaches of Premier Soccer League clubs is not only unreasonable, but also unfair.
Not that it is wrong for the national football association to ask for higher qualifications from our top coaches, but what was wrong was the impromptu manner in having the demand met.
If surely Zifa were serious about the way they do their things, this decision should have been communicated to the clubs long ago or at the end of the 2025 season.
In fact, the circular that Zifa sent out to all its affiliates and written on February 4 — regarding the coaching qualification changes — should have been sent long back before the clubs went into the market to look out for coaches for 2026 and beyond.
Last year, it was CAF B and when the season ended Zifa did not give notice as to the proposed changes hence the clubs continued to hire coaches with CAF B qualifications.
Surely, there is no team with serious ambitions that reaches this stage without appointing a coach and the sudden demand by Zifa hit not only Highlanders and FC Platinum in the PSL, but too many others in the lower divisions and women's football.
We are not sure why this decision was communicated only three weeks before the start of the season, but whoever planted the curse of confusion and disorder at Zifa should have it removed because things are blowing far beyond estimations.
What Zifa should not forget is that they are the ones responsible for organising these CAF A courses and have not done so since 2017 only to wake up with an ultimatum to demand a qualification whose course is not on offer.
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The Nqobile Magwizi-led Zifa leadership has been in office for more than a year and never did they at one time take their time to host a CAF A course only to demand a qualification born out of the same course.
For now, Zifa should be reasonable and give the affected clubs and coaches a grace period to operate under the old order until they Zifa themselves are able to host a CAF A course.
And Jesaya surprises Zifa
Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture deputy minister Emily Jesaya took Zifa by surprise, when she abandoned her accompanying Zifa entourage to meet the Mighty Warriors' on her own.
Jesaya had been accompanied by Magwizi and other football officials but asked to be excused to meet the players in Zifa's absence.
The minister wanted to get first-hand information from the players and excluded Zifa in order to give the players the freedom of expression.
She was met with the shattering reality that the national team was accommodated in domitories where they were sharing toilets and bathing rooms with those outside their assembly.
She was told that the seven players who are dropped from the initial training 30 are not paid even a single cent for all their time in camp while the team itself gets a paltry US$50 for all the weeks in camp.
They described their winning bonuses as enough only for 'hair do' compared to the thousands that are on offer on the Warriors's table.
The minister also heard that the Mighty Warriors' were using old training kits and there was also no new playing kit despite the fact that the team was heading for a tournament.
Yet, on the other hand, the Warriors have four new different playing kits and loads of training uniforms.
Questions are also being raised as to why their coach Sithethelelwe Sibanda has not been accorded the same opportunity to go around to watch and decide on Zimbabwe's foreign based players.
Right now, Warriors coach, Mario Marinica is in Europe meeting Zimbabwe players, the same opportunity that was accorded to Michael Nees but not Sibanda.
It is that Zifa do not feel the importance of Mighty Warriors' foreign based players as in most cases they have said they did not have money to bring them home for international matches ?
Right now, not even a single foreign based player - including those in South Africa - has been called for the Cosafa Cup as the association feels there is no need to.
The Mighty Warriors' face Botswana, Eswatini, and Zambia, in the tournament that runs from February 18 to March 1.
Not much, however, is expected of the Zimbabwe team after only two weeks in camp when the players were also on off- season break.
