Despite a patchy past with the football governing body, Warriors interim coach, Norman Mapeza has opened doors for another date with the senior men’s team after confirming his availability for the job should ZIFA consider him.
The FC Platinum gaffer, who returned to the national team on an interim basis, since taking charge of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers before he was fired due to match fixing allegations believes he is ready to take the hot seat.
Speaking to journalists soon after guiding the Warriors to an uninspiring nil all draw against Chipolopolo of Zambia at the National Sports Stadium, Mapeza said he had let his past with Zimbabwe Football Association go and is ready to open a new chapter.
“When they need me for future assignments I will obviously be available because this is a national cause. I will do it for my country. For me to be here it is because of them (the fans) and I will do anything for them.
“If I was someone who was mad at ZIFA , I would have gone and took everything at the ZIFA village but I knew one day I would come back on the technical bench. Why should I put ZIFA to shame? I’m a Zimbabwean, everybody makes mistakes but we need to move and maybe tomorrow I will be back to my club and they will not have hard feelings,” said Mapeza.
Mapeza said there was need for both him and ZIFA to look past their previous experiences and work for the betterment of the nation expressing confidence that a new marriage with ZIFA is on the cards.
The former Monomotapa coach has already set his sight on the Warriors’ next assignment against Lone stars of Liberia in the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers in June.
If appointed on a permanent basis, Mapeza will look to assemble a team that will try to qualify for AFCON 2019 to be held in Cameron.
With the warriors managing to share spoils with Chipolopolo, Mapeza has some positives especially considering that his squad was hastily assembled.
“I am happy with the performance. The players worked very hard despite the fact that we are in off-season. We faced challenges in terms of attack, but they need time. I believe we have got good strikers. This is why I had called (Tendai Ndoro and Evans Rusike). I needed their experience,” Mapeza said.
The Warriors job fell vacant following the dismissal of Kalisto Pasuwa after a poor showing at the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon earlier this year.
