Charles Mhlauri takes over as Warriors coach

Charles Mhlauri takes over as Warriors coach

NEW BROOM: Charles Mhlauri

• VISIT: http://www.charlesmhlauri.com

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By Sports Reporter

CHARLES Mhlauri will formalise his appointment as the new Zimbabwe national soccer team coach on Wednesday, he told New Zimbabwe.com last night.

"After consulting friends and family I have accepted the job," he said. "The chance to coach one's national team is something that you cannot easily pass over."

In his first interview following his appointment leaked to a national daily paper on Tuesday, Mhlauri admitted the World Cup was beyond the Warriors' grasp.

"It will be difficult to go to the World Cup, its definitely a tall order considering our current position. Our fate is no longer in our hands," Mhauri said.

Mhlauri, coach of runaway league leaders Caps United replaces Motor Action coach Rahman Gumbo who was sacked early this month. His contract runs until the end of the year and by his own admission, it is "performance related".

His first task will be to lead Zimbabwe in the Cosafa Castle Cup final against Zambia at the National Sports Stadium on October 24.

"It is not possible at this stage to say how we are going to perform against the Zambians," he said. "I will first have to get all the players that I want in camp before I can comment on our preparedness for the match."

Mhlauri, arguably Zimbabwe's most qualified coach, also the first to own a website, insisted that he was not worried about the short-term contract and the obvious lack of job security which comes with such a contract.

"Being fired is a professional hazard if you are a coach and I am not worried," he said. "This is a job I couldn't turn down. It's a privilege and honour for me to coach the national team. All coaches want this job, and I am no exception."

And he is certainly not a dull interviewee. He joked at the end of our interview: "Every coach wants to hear a national anthem being played before a match."

CURRENT GROUP FOUR LOG STANDINGS
[The draw also acts as qualifying for the 2006 African Nations Cup.
The winner of each group will compete in the 2006 World Cup, while the top three in each group qualify for the 2006 Nations Cup]

	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	PTS
Nigeria	4	3	0	1	6	1	9
Angola	4	2	2	0	4	2	8
Gabon	4	1	2	1	7	6	5
Zimbabwe	4	1	2	1	4	5	5
Rwanda	4	1	0	3	3	6	3
	4	0	3	1	1	5	2

Results & Remaining Fixtures
2004
June 5: Nigeria 2-0 Rwanda; Gabon 1-1 Zimbabwe; Algeria 0-0 Angola

June 19: Rwanda 3-1 Gabon

June 20: Zimbabwe 1-1 Algeria; Angola 1-0 Nigeria

July 3: Nigeria 1-0 Algeria; Gabon 2-2 Angola; Rwanda 0-2 Zimbabwe

September 5: Zimbabwe 0-3 Nigeria; Angola 1-0 Rwanda, Algeria 0-3 Gabon

October 9: Gabon v Nigeria
October 10: Rwanda v Algeria; Angola v Zimbabwe

2005

March 25: Algeria v Rwanda
March 26: Nigeria v Gabon
March 27: Zimbabwe v Angola

June 5: Zimbabwe v Gabon; Angola v Algeria; Rwanda v Nigeria

June 17: Algeria v Zimbabwe
June 18: Nigeria v Angola; Gabon v Rwanda

September 2: Algeria v Nigeria
September 4: Zimbabwe v Rwanda; Angola v Gabon

October 8: Nigeria v Zimbabwe; Gabon v Algeria
October 9: Rwanda v Angola
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