George ‘Zambia’ Mbwando who played as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for the Zimbabwe national team has expressed his desire to lead the currently coachless Warriors.
It comes after he submitted his CV for the vacant coaching position that was advertised by the ZIFA Normalisation Committee (NC) on Tuesday.
The ZIFA NC is looking to appoint a new coach to lead the Warriors in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers slated for 7 and 11 June in South Africa.
The Warriors are scheduled to play Lesotho on 7 June at Orlando Stadium and South Africa on 11 June at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
The ZIFA NC is working around the clock to appoint a new coach who will be at the helm of the Warriors for the forthcoming crucial qualifiers.
The top post fell vacant after the committee decided against renewing Baltemar Brito’s contract upon its expiry in December 2023.
Recently, the committee appointed Norman Mapeza on an interim basis and the FC Platinum coach was in charge for the team in Malawi during a Four Nations tournament.
But despite temporarily settling for Mapeza, once again the committee has decided to rope in a new candidate.
Wrote the ZIFA NC in their advert: “…Candidates should hold higher qualifications like the CAF Pro Licence, CAF A Licence or any Pro-licence and have a minimum five years of international football experience at senior levels.
“The coach’s mandate will be to lead the senior men’s national team and direct the program and preparations for the team for various tournaments, including the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and COSAFA tournaments.”
Consequently, Mbwando, a holder of a Uefa A coaching badge is among those who are vying for the top position.
The former defender with Polish side Lech Poznan submitted his application, although his effort in trying to take charge of the Warriors will hit a snag.
This is because he does not meet the specific requirements even though he a is a holder of a Uefa A Coaching badge, which is recognised throughout Europe.
The continental football governing body, CAF, mandates that all coaches hold a CAF Pro Licence or a CAF A Licence to be eligible to lead a team in continental competitions.
