Mhlauri bitter over Warriors exit

Mhlauri bitter over Warriors exit

FIRED: Mlhauri

• ZIFA wields axe on Mhlauri

• Mhlauri a mistake, says Chidzambwa

• Warriors fall in Morocco, Mhlauri faces axe

• Mhlauri's fury over Ndlovu no-show

By Nkanyiso Moyo

AFTER two days of dodging the media for Zimbabwe national soccer team coach Charles Mhlauri claims, in a brief interview, that the country's Football Association (ZIFA) was swayed by public opinion and that the notion of development is never really understood in Zimbabwe.

“I do not want to say much because this is a just a restructuring exercise being undertaken by ZIFA," Mhlauri said Thursday, still very keen to avoid talking about his dismissal on Tuesday.

"But it was clear from the beginning that the concept of development was new to Zimbabwe. We need to have two teams all the time, but we could not bank on the Under 23 because they have failed.

“It also seems the media pushed public opinion out of emotion. Some were just out to get me not for the good of football. I can’t say anything further than that," he said.

On Tuesday, ZIFA dismissed all national team coaches including the Under 17, Under 20, Under 23 and the Mighty Warriors technical staff on the basis of their failure to qualify for major tournaments this year and in 2008.

The Under 17 and Under 20 were booted out of the Africa Youth Championships by South Africa, the Under 23 teams fell to Cameroon and Mozambique in the Olympics and All Africa Games qualifiers respectively.

The Mighty Warriors were kicked out of the Olympic Games by South Africa after losing 5-3 on aggregate last weekend.

Before Tuesday's board meeting, Mhlauri seemed to have received a boost after ZIFA patron and Vice President Joseph Msika said the coach was not to blame for the Warriors' failure to qualify for Ghana after losing 2-0 to Morocco at the beginning of June.

Mhlauri, who had been in charge since October 2004, took Zimbabwe to the last Nations Cup finals in Egypt. He also won the 2005 Cosafa Castle Cup with the country.

In his 32 matches in charge, Zimbabwe compiled a record of 11 wins, 11 draws and 10 losses.

A caretaker coach will be in place for the last match against Malawi in September.

African Cup of Nations 2008
Group 12
[The team that wins the group goes through to the finals in Ghana in 2008]

RESULTS THAT ELIMINATED ZIMBABWE:
Date: 02/09/2006
Morocco 2-0 Malawi
Date: 07/10/2006
Malawi 1-0 Zimbabwe
Date: 25/03/2007
Zimbabwe 1-1 Morocco
Date: 02/06/2007
Morocco 2-0 Zimbabwe

REMAINING FIXTURES:
Date: 15/16/17-06/2007
Malawi/Morocco
Date:07/08/09-09/2007
Zimbabwe/Malawi

Group 12 Table:

TEAM	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	P
Morocco	3	2	1	0	5	1	7
Malawi	2	1	0	1	1	2	3
Zimbabwe	3	0	1	2	1	4	1

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