Seven coaches in seven years — time for ZIFA to break the cycle

Seven coaches in seven years — time for ZIFA to break the cycle

Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports EditorTHE number seven represents completion and perfection, but not when it comes to Zimbabwean football.In local football it is a tale of chaos disguised as change, of restarts without reform.Sunday Chidzambwa, Joey Antipas, Zdravko Logarusic, Norman Mapeza, Baltemar Brito, Jairos Tapera and Michael Nees – each arrival promising revival, each exit leaving deeper disillusionment.In 1995, Zimbabwe stood proud at number 40th on the FIFA world rankings and the picture was pretty much the same in 2004 where it was within the same range at 44th.Fast forward to 2025, the Warriors languish at 129th, a slow-motion collapse measured not just in rankings, but in chaos.The revolving door at the Warriors’ helm has not just broken continuity; it erased identity- fans no longer ask when results will come, they probe whether there is even a plan in place.Now, with the Nqobile Magwizi-led ZIFA board freshly installed, there’s a rare moment for course correction.The question is not simply who should lead the Warriors next? It is how that leader should be chosen, supported, and sustained.Unless ZIFA trades its addiction to short-term fixes for an enduring footballing vision, the next coach will just be another statistic in the federation’s obituary of failure.For two decades, the Warriors have been in freefall, from 49th in 2005 to tumbling 80 places, in the process going from continental hopefuls to afterthoughts.Failed campaigns, tactical confusion and rotating philosophies, every new coach arrives promising transformation wrapped in a new “project” only to be handed a stopwatch instead of a runway.The deeper problem is not tactics, it’s trust.ZIFA’s historical bias towards foreign coaches has been as costly as it has been counterproductive.Foreign names arrive with inflated contracts and unearned authority, while local coaches are tossed temporary roles, tight budgets, and ticking clocks.Only Sunday Chidzambwa lasted more than two years, the rest were caretakers.Yet, across Africa, the evidence is clear: stability breeds success.Senegal appointed Aliou Cissé in 2015, critics doubted him early, but the Senegalese FA held firm.A decade later, he has delivered an AFCON title, back-to-back World Cup appearances, and a huge leap from 69th to 20th in the world.Not magic just method, trust, and institutional backing.Morocco’s Walid Regragui did the impossible not because of luck, but his federation handed him the tools.The result? A World Cup semi-final, and a continental standard for alignment between coach and federation.Zimbabwe, meanwhile, has built on nothing but impatience, coaches like Norman Mapeza and Chidzambwa were sent into battle with wooden swords, little preparation, no continuity, and unrealistic targets.Foreign imports with modest CVs were handed blank cheques and long leashes, only to leave the Warriors stranded.If ZIFA under Magwizi wants to build something enduring, it must start with structure, not slogans.The next Warriors coach, local or foreign, should be appointed through a transparent process anchored on football philosophy, not personality.More importantly, that coach must be protected by a real framework: scouting networks, analytics teams, youth integration, and technical backing that outlives a single tenure.ZIFA must stop treating the national team like a weekend project and manage it like a national institution.Seven coaches in seven years is not just a record: it’s a symptom of vision deficit.The Warriors will rise again only when belief returns, when there is belief in process, in patience, and in the idea that identity matters as much as results.If Magwizi’s board can break that cycle, Zimbabwe may yet rediscover the days when the Warriors were gallant, not a national worry.Worry-us no more.

Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports Editor

Source: ZBC News