Don Makanyanga
Zifa has ended months of waiting as they have appointed Croatian Zdravko Logarušić as the new Warriors head-coach on a two-year contract.
The 54-year old Croatian will be deputised by Chicken Inn coach, Joey Antipas, who has been acting an interim coach since last July when Sunday Chidzambwa tendered his resignation from the post after an unsuccessful Afcon finals campaign in Gabon.
Lloyd Chitembwe will be the second assistant coach with Dynamos head-coach Tonderai Ndiraya the third assistant while former Highlanders goalkeeper Pennell Mckopp will be the goalkeepers’ coach.
It will be Mckop first reunion with the Warriors in more than two decades having acted in the same capacity on a part-time basis during the Dream- Team era.
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Zifa President Felton Kamambo made the announcement of the new technical team after deliberations with the board on recommendations which made by the Brighton Malandule-led Technical Development Committee last week.
“The Technical Development Committee recommended four coaches and one of them was Zimbabwean (Joey Antipas).
“After considerations we have settled for a very experienced coach who has 20 years of experience and his name is Zdravko Logarušić,” said Kamambo.
Logarušić name had remained a secret until Wednesday afternoon with the mother body selling dummies of other coaches taking over from Chidzambwa.
With the previous Zifa administration having come under-fire for failing to pay foreign coaches in hard-currency, Kamabo has revealed that the Croatian will be paid in local currency.
“We cannot come up with a contract which we cannot be able to pay, so we have looked at out finances, his upkeep his payment up to the end of his contract.
“We have the money to pay him and will be guided by the country’s law,” said Kamambo
The Croatian, who will be unveiled as Warriors coach in a fortnight, has been tasked with an immediate Afcon qualification.
“Like we have said the Warriors will have to qualify for each and every Afcon finals, it is Logarušić primary and first target,” said Kamambo
Before his appointment as Warriors head-coach, Logarušić had a stint with the Sudanese national team for close two years before being fired by the Sudanese Football federation on November 30.
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During his stint as Sudanese head coach, the Croatian managed to finish third in the last edition of the Chan tournament.
Meanwhile, the Kamamb- led board has lifted bans on former Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa and his vice-president Omega Sibanda.