July 11 2017 – WARRIORS coach Sunday Chidzambwa, fresh from making history by winning the COSAFA Cup history for the country and himself, has been rewarded for his sterling job, by being appointed to take charge of the Warriors’ Championship of African Nations (CHAN) qualifiers starting this weekend.
On Sunday, Chidzambwa became the first coach to win the COSAFA Cup three times, leading Zimbabwe to a convincing 3-1 win over Zambia in the final in Rusternburg.
In the process, Zimbabwe also became record winners of the competition having won it five times.
In recognition of this achievement, ZIFA and COSAFA president, Phillip Chiyangwa immediately announced that to maintain continuity, Chidzambwa would take charge of the locally-based contingent, the majority whom he has worked with in the successful COSAFA run.
The Warriors face Namibia in the first leg on July 16 at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek as they set their sights on qualifying for a tournament they have never missed since its inception in 2009.
“We felt that continuity was integral in this cause and this create a strong bond between the players and the technical team.
“This technical team has made us and the nation proud by winning a historic fifth COSAFA Castle Cup and we have made a decision that they (technical team) will take charge of the 2018 CHAN qualifiers to ensure that we qualify for the finals in Kenya.
“There is a lot of potential in both the technical team and the players going forward and we saw no reason to disturb this momentum.
“We are happy with the work they are doing and as we head to Namibia, we wish them success again.
“On our part as Zifa, we will strive to provide a smooth working environment to ensure continued success of all national teams and we remain indebted to ZPC Kariba and Dynamos for letting us have their coaches during the course of the season,” says Chiyangwa in a Zifa statement.
It is a return to familiar territory for Chidzambwa, who was also at the helm of the team that qualified for the inaugural edition of the tournament reserved for players plying their trade in their native countries.
Lloyd Mtasa and Bongani Mafu will also remains as Chidzambwa’s assistants while Wellington Mpandare also remains team manager. –www.ZimsInSA.com reporter
