PORTUGUESE national Baltemar Brito has unfinished business with the Warriors which has prompted him to apply for the vacant Zimbabwe senior men’s national football team’s coaching job.
The Zifa normalisation committee has invited applications for the job for the second time having previously appointed Brito only on interim basis for the two 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Rwanda last year.
An impeccable source within the leadership of local football confirmed that the former Warriors and Highlanders’ gaffer had applied for the job.
“He [Brito] applied. He wants to come back [to Zimbabwe]. I think he has more interest in Zimbabwe than the recent possibility of him joining the Cameroon national team where he was invited for interviews. He has always had his mind on Zimbabwe to finish the job that he started,” the source said.
During the week, Zifa flighted a fresh advertisement for the Warriors job as the senior men’s team will be in South Africa in June to take on Lesotho and Bafana Bafana at Orlando Stadium and Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein at home and away, respectively.
Zimbabwe has no stadium fit to host a competitive international match.
In the advert, Zifa stated that the duties of the coach with a Caf Pro or Caf “A” license would be to: “Lead the senior men’s national team and direct the programme and preparations of the teams for various tournaments, including the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers and Cosafa tournaments.”
It said the ideal candidate must have extensive international football knowledge and experience, particularly at the senior national team level and prior experience coaching an African national team is an added advantage.
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The ideal candidate must have the ability to foster a competitive and successful team and should have strong educational background with a clear coaching methodology.
Familiarity with the role of sports science in preparing players for international competitions is also one of the attributes.
Local coaches have also been urged to apply.
After 18 months in the wilderness due to a Fifa ban following government interference, Zimbabwe returned to international football in July last year.
Brito, then Highlanders’ coach, was in September appointed as Warriors’ interim coach and took charge of the Group C 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers in Rwanda in November.
The Warriors played a home match against Nigeria at Huye Stadium and it ended one-all having played a goalless draw against Rwanda days earlier.
They have picked up two points in Group C and Brito is looking forward to resume Warriors’ hunt for World Cup qualification.
The Portuguese gaffer’s contract with Zifa ended on December 31 and back then, the national football governing body said they could not continue with Brito because they could not afford him.
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza bounced back as Warriors’ coach on an interim basis and recently took charge in a four-nation tournament in Malawi.
