ZIMBABWE Warriors coach Norman Mapeza is set to remain in charge of the national side after ZIFA boss Cuthbert Dube vetoed a decision by the association’s technical committee to appoint a Belgian national to the job.
The ZIFA committee, comprising board members Benedict Moyo, Solomon Mugavazi, Twine Phiri, Gift Banda and Kenny Marange, had recommended the appointment of Belgian Tom Saintfiet with Madinda Ndlovu and Friday Phiri coming in as his assistants.
The new coaching set-up was set to be announced on Saturday afternoon but the press conference had to be cancelled after the ZIFA president intervened.
Dube said: “There were recommendations to appoint the Belgian coach but as the president I have the final word and that decision will have to be changed.
“We will soon announce the national team coach and I can assure the nation that we won’t be getting the Belgian coach."
Saintfiet is presently in charge of the Namibian national team and ZIFA would have had to compensate the Namibian association if the Belgian was to move to Zimbabwe.
Dube confirmed that Mapeza, who led the Warriors in the opening African Nations qualifier away to Liberia where they drew 1-1, would remain in charge of the team.
The Warriors' next assignment as they look to qualify for the next Nations Cup finals will be at home to islanders Cape Verde and Dube said Mapeza would prepare the side for the tie.
The former national team captain is now expected to be given the job full-time.
However, the issue appears to have divided the ZIFA board with some members questioning the appointments of Ndlovu and Phiri as assistant coaches when the duo apparently never applied to be considered.
In addition some board members said the cash-strapped association did not have the resources to pay the Belgian coach’s salary and the thousands of dollars that would have been demanded in compensation by the Namibian football association.
Mapeza has been in temporary charge of the national side since Sunday Chidzambwa quit to take up a coaching roll with a South African premiership side.