How on earth is Chidzambwa still in charge?

How on earth is Chidzambwa still in charge?
Published: 11 July 2019
MORE than 10 days after the Warriors' humiliating exit from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), coach Sunday Chidzambwa still remains in his job despite the outrage at the shambolic displays.

The Warriors were eliminated from the competition after finishing bottom of Group A that also comprised hosts Egypt, Uganda and the DRC.

Zimbabwe began the tournament with a 1-0 loss to the Pharaohs before a thrilling 1-1 draw with the Cranes. However, the team which had been rocked by a pay dispute with the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) throughout the finals was eliminated after mortifying 4-0 defeat to the DRC.

Usually after such occurrences, the coach should not wait to be fired but just jump before they are pushed. However, because of the inertia and lack of bold leadership at Zifa as shown by how they handled the Warriors' pay dispute in Egypt, Chidzambwa remains in charge of the team and is even looking forward to taking charge of the forthcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers later this year.

"If the authorities bring a new coach, they're most welcome, maybe it's time for me to go. But the honest truth is that I wanted to go to the World Cup," Chidzambwa said after the Warriors' exit in Egypt.

While he is optimistic of continuing in his capacity it was clear for Warriors fans that, coupled with the pay dispute, another major factor which caused the team's early exit was how it failed to put in consistent displays.

Ultimately, coaches are judged by results no matter what circumstances they are working under in this brutal world of professional sports. This is the reason why even Uganda's coach Sebastien Desabre was shown the exit door after the Cranes' elimination by Senegal in the last 16 stage.

The Frenchman had made history by becoming the first coach to mastermind a Cranes win at the Afcon finals when they beat the DRC 2-0 in their opening Group A match. The East Africans also broke the hoodoo when they progressed to the knockout rounds for the first time but still Desabre was booted out before landing a job with Pyramids in Egypt.

Nigerian legend Emmanuel Amuneke was sacked by Tanzania after the Taifa Stars failed to win a single match in Egypt. The Taifa Stars lost 2-0 to Senegal before going down 3-2 to Kenya in a five goal thriller. Their final game ended in a 3-0 loss to Algeria.   

"The Tanzania Football Association and the national team coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, have reached a joint agreement to terminate the contract.....," the Tanzania Football Federation said in a statement.

There was carnage in the Egypt Football Association after president Hany Abo Rida quit his post after the Pharaohs lost their last 16 clash to South Africa 1-0. But before the sword fell on Abo Rida, he had sacked Pharaohs coach Javier Aguirre since it was deemed unacceptable for the team to fail to at least reach the final of a home Afcon tournament.

Abo Rida called on his board members to step down, calling his resignation a "moral obligation, although the football association had given the national team full material and moral support". Aguirre told reporters after Saturday's defeat that he took sole responsibility but was proud of all of his players. "The game was open and saw many chances. The only difference was that South Africa managed to score," he said.

In Cameroon, Clarence Seedorff is unsure if he will keep his job after the Indomitable Lions were knocked out of the finals after losing 3-2 to rivals Nigeria in the round of 16. "Maybe you want to give us a few days," the Real Madrid and Netherlands legend said after he was asked about his future." Other nations have accepted their failure and are already shedding their skin for a renewal in the hope their football will improve.

However, here in Zimbabwe, it looks like everything is normal with Zifa president Felton Kamambo still in charge while Chidzambwa is probably already thinking of his next Warriors assignment.
- dailynews
Tags: Chidzambwa,

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