Zimbabwe is looking for a national men’s football head coach, but could all local gaffers already be disqualified?

Prince Dube Mpumelelo of Zimbabwe during the 2017 Cosafa Castle Cup match between Zimbabwe and Seychelles at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg South Africa on 30 June 2017 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

So now that Zimbabwe is back in the international football fold, they have proceeded with the business of finding a head coach for the national team.

And they have set out their desires

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

The role represents a key position in the Zimbabwe National Team set up in the cycle 2023-2028.

The coach will be the Head Coach for the senior men national team and oversee the developmental sides’ pathways U23, U20 and U17 for both men and women.

With his technical team, he will lead the program and preparations of the teams for the 2023 CHAN Qualifiers. Cosafa Tournaments, Olympics qualifiers, 2025 Africa Cup qualifiers and the 2026 FIFA World Cup USA.

Profile:

Extensive international football knowledge and experience at senior national team level (Africa and Europe)

Must have a very good understanding of the Zimbabwe national team playing philosophy and playing principles to create a competitive and successful team.

Must own good educational skills and a clear coaching methodology.

Must have a good understanding of the role of sport science in preparing players at international level.

Must have a good personality and people management skills to inspire excellence individually and as a team.

A motivator and a mentor Must be a good communicator & respect authority. Detail-oriented.

Must have physical stamina Ability to improve mental strength of the players

Experience having worked as a coach for an African national team will be an added advantage.

Job skills and Qualifications:

CAF A/UEFA A License or equivalent. At least 5 years’ International football experience at adolescents and senior level.

Practical knowledge of African football Knowledge of English language (verbal and written) is a minimum requirement

Educational background (Bachelor or Masters in sports Science or management) is an advantage Digital tools’ skills

Match Analysis skills

Presentation skills

Local coaches who meet the criteria are encouraged to apply.

The Offer salary shall be disclosed to successful candidates invited for interviews (US$ based per month.)

Our quick thoughts

A lot of it looks pretty standard and what you should expect from the whole searching for a coach thing. That said, you wonder if the national team position is not what subject to head-hunting. We understand the desire for transparency, but you imagine football people should know football people and tell us what happened.

One key issue will be the five-year requirement in terms of experience, which means no Zimbabwean coach is likely to qualify. No Zimbabwean coach has been given that much international experience.