Former Highlanders Coach Elroy Akbay has tipped Norman Mapeza to win the race for the post of interim Warriors coach after the entire technical team was disbanded on Sunday, adding that Mapeza’s football insight will steer the Warriors to expected heights.
Mapeza has not yet been confirmed as the Warriors interim coach.
Speaking to Zim Morning Post from his native country Netherlands, Akbay said he is a fan of Mapeza and believes the gaffer will turn around Zimbabwe’s fortunes.
“I like his type of play, he is a great coach and he will deliver as the coach, he knows the system and his modern type of play suits well with the current crop of Warriors,” Akbay told Zim Morning Post.
Akbay believes a lot needs to be done to improve football in Zimbabwe adding it has not been an easy path as the COVID-19 induced lockdown also affected the Warriors’ performance.
“A lot needs to be done, the COVID-19 induced lockdown has also affected football development in Zimbabwe. I have been following what is happening there (Zimbabwe) and the results were not pleasing,” Akbay told Zim Morning Post.
Akbay said “it was not new for a national team to fire a coach, here in Netherlands our national team coach was fired after EURO 2020.”
Logarusic presided over probably the worst run by the Warriors winning just one in 14 attempts, managing five draws and eight defeats since his appointment in January last year.
Although he helped Zimbabwe qualify for the rescheduled AFCON finals to be held in Cameroon early next year, the foundation for the team’s qualification was laid by Joey Antipas, who took charge of the team’s first two matches and collected four points.
With Logarusic in charge the Warriors were knocked out in the first round of both the African Nations Championship (Chan) and the COSAFA Cup.
Despite the poor results, ZIFA stubbornly backed him to turn around the situation but the decision backfired until the bubble finally burst on Sunday.