Mhofu, Antipas Criticise ZIFA For Giving Loga 'Special' Treatment
Former Warriors coaches Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambga and Joey Antipas have castigated the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) for giving preferential treatment to foreign coaches.
The two local coaches were speaking in separate interviews with State media following reports that ZIFA paid former Warriors coach Zdravko Logarusic 10 per cent of the US$550 000 of the Africa Cup of Nations qualification bonus, which translates to US$55 000.
Neither Chidzambga, who led the national team to two African Cup of Nations tournaments, including their maiden appearance in Tunisia in 2004, nor Antipas, who laid the foundation for the Warriors’ qualification for the 2021 AFCON finals, was paid for similar efforts.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail, Chidzambga said it was a pity that ZIFA was quick to give big bucks to white coaches while looking down upon local coaches. He said:
Since Independence, we have never known anything called a qualification bonus being paid out by ZIFA.
I remember when we qualified for Egypt 2019, ZIFA president Kamambo (Felton) only made a pledge to say we will see how you can be rewarded for qualifying, but nothing materialised.
What I have noticed though and which is very sad is that we have a huge problem of looking down on ourselves as Africans and, if anything, we actually frustrate our own coaches instead of providing a platform for them to succeed.
If it is for a white man, those at ZIFA will run around to do everything possible, and it is a pity.
He said when the team was in Egypt, ZIFA deposited some of their dues in foreign currency accounts, but once the team returned home, the balance was paid in local currency at the ratio of one-to-one.
Antipas revealed that he has not yet been paid by ZIFA for overseeing the Warriors’ 2-0 win over Zambia in Lusaka and the 0-0 draw against Botswana, results which laid the foundation for qualification for the 2021 AFCON finals. Antipas said:
We feel we are used as scapegoats most of the time. I am yet to be paid for the games against Botswana, which was a draw and the win in Zambia, and I have not had any engagement from ZIFA.
Logarusic was sacked on Sunday last week after the ZIFA board buckled under incessant pressure from football fans and pundits to fire the Croat.
The Croat is the first coach to retain his Warriors job despite going on a long, pathetic spell of one win in 14 games.
