Can Michael Nees Bring Success To The Warriors?
The Zimbabwe Football Association Normalization Committee chair Lincoln Mutasa confirmed Michael Nees as the new Zimbabwe Warriors head coach on the 30th of July.
The 57-year-old German tactician will be tasked with leading the Warriors in the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nees comes to the helm of the Zimbabwe national team on the backdrop of a five – year stint with Kosovo – in South East of Europe where he served as a technical director before assuming the head coach role of the under-21 men’s team.
His other previous experiences include holding an advisory role for the Japanese national team before appointed as the Head Coach of the Seychelles and Rwanda Senior Men’s National Team from 2003-2004 and 2006-2007 respectively. He was also the Director of Coaching and Education at the South African Football Association (SAFA).
Although Nees’ track record is not as impressive as is expected- with his appointment carrying an element of risk-taking akin to a roll of the dice, but we have to be optimistic. Nees can turn things around if he gets all the support needed.
When you have survived through the dark period of playing almost two years without a proper coach and witnessing our national team being walloped by minnows like Namibia, Lesotho and even Kenya, nothing scares you anymore.
While it is highly unlikely that Nees will bring success to the Warriors, it would be premature to dismiss him entirely. Despite his lack of experience at the national team level, the German mentor is optimistic of bringing glory to Zimbabwe.
After his appointment, Nees emphasized that while Zimbabwe boasts a pool of talented players, there is a need to enhance their performance to reach new heights. “I am a modern and innovative coach, focused on international challenges and capable of thinking outside the box to gain a competitive edge,” Nees said.
He acknowledged the Warriors’ potential but stressed the importance of avoiding predictability to secure qualifications for the FIFA World Cup and the African Cup of Nations. “I am confident in achieving these goals due to my expertise in enhancing key performance factors and making impactful changes swiftly.”
Having completed a unique coaching qualification in “Life Kinetik,” a method pioneered by Jürgen Klopp to help create many new connections between brain cells through the different tasks in order to become more efficient in everyday life, including better concentration, good calculating, moving more skillfully, processing disturbances better, feeling less stress, sleeping better, Nees is well aligned with the tactical fashion of the day to succeed with the Warriors.
Nees tends to play a 4-3-3 formation most often but doesn’t stick to it religiously as he is also known to use the basic 4-4-2 formation.
The 4-3-3 which can be reshaped to a 4-3-2-1 formation focuses more on attacking football with two deep-lying midfielders and a reliance on wingers to create chances.
The 4-3-3 formation provides a strong defence and a more balanced midfield with three central midfielders, which can offer greater flexibility in terms of pressing, ball retention, and creative play. This formation is well-suited for Nees’ preferred gengenpressing style of play that requires more aggressive, high-pressing football.
This tactic allows teams to push high and gain possession quickly after losing it-which can be quite suitable for the Warriors.
With Zimbabwe Warriors boosting of players that can make a balanced defence and a great midfield including attacking minded players like Andy Rinomhota, Tawanda Chirewa, Nyasha Munetsi and plenty wing players to suit his system, Nees has all the ammunition he needs to revolutionize the team and bring glory to the nation.
