Who Will The Warriors Turn To For The Head Coach Position?
As the search for a permanent head coach continues, A few number of interested candidates have popped up linking them to the Warriors top position.
The Zifa normalization committee are racing against time to appoint the national team head coach to fill up the vacant place left by Norman Mapeza who held the post on interim basis, ahead of Zimbabwe Warriors’ double fixture against Lesotho and Bafana-Bafana on the 7th and 11th of June 2024 respectively, for the 2026 World cup qualifiers in South Africa as Zimbabwe still struggle to make a single stadium standard to host international games.
Not much exciting names have applied for the job though except for the former Cameroon coach and Africa Cup of Nations winner Winfried Schafer, Serbian mentor and former Kaizer Chiefs and Maritzburg united coach Kosta Papic and Brazilian international Baltemar Brito- the former Warriors coach who presided for matches against Nigeria and Rwanda before his contract ended on 31st December 2023.
Winfriend Schaffer (73), the German international started his coaching career in 1982 and his biggest international career highlight was in 2002 when he led the Indomitable Lions to an Africa Cup of Nations victory defeating Senegal 3-2 on penalties after a nil all draw in the final.
He went on to coach Thailand from 2011 to 2013 before taking over the Reggae Boys a month later. With Jamaica Schafer took the team to their sixth Carrebean Cup title after beating Trinidad & Tobago 4-3 on penalties in the 2014 final.
He later took the team to 2015 Copa America where the team put on a splendid performance but unfortunately fall to regional power houses, Argentina and Uruguay who both defeated them with a single goal in their group matches.
Shortly after Schafer’s team reached the final of the Gold cup after beating tournament favorites United States of America.
On club level Schafer has coached in German, UAE, Iran and Qatar where he was last contracted at Qatar Stars in 2021.
Kosta Papic (63), the Serbian international is very familiar with African football having managed top teams in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania.
Some of the clubs he managed include, Hearts of Oak (Ghana), Ethiopian Coffee (Ethiopia), Kaizer Chiefs, Maritzburg United, Orlando Pirates (South Africa), Enyimba, Lobi Stars, Enungu Rangers, Kwara United (Nigeria), Young Africans (Tanzania) just to name a few.
His only international job was with Eswatini where he took charge from 2018 to 2019.
Former Jose Mourinho assistant coach Baltemar Brito (72) was appointed Warriors caretaker coach last year and took charge of two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Nigeria in November where he picked up two points.
The Brazilian seems to be more interested in finishing the job he started with the Warriors than the prospects of joining any other team. He was recently invited for interview for the Cameroon head coach position before they settled for Belgian international Marc Brys.
The appointed candidate will be tasked with leading the senior men’s team and directing the programme and preparations of teams for various tournaments, including the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and COSAFA tournaments.
