Zifa has offered a US$600 000 bonus to Warriors coach Norman Mapeza on the condition that the Zimbabwe national senior men’s team to the Fifa 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
Mapeza was appointed Warriors interim coach last week after the association sacked Zdravko Logarušic.
NewsDay Sport reports that Mapeza will take 5% of the qualification bonus that comes from Fifa.
Every country that qualifies for the tournament will receive US$12 million, with the eventual winners claiming a further US$40 million.
Although Zifa board members refused to divulge the nature of Mapeza’s short-term contract, NewsDay Sport understands the FC Platinum gaffer has been promised a 5% qualification bonus. A source told NewsDay:
Zifa has always tried to motivate coaches. It (Zifa) knows that if the team qualifies, it means more money coming to its coffers. We have always had incentives in place. There are incentives that have been tabled for Mapeza like any other coach.
Of course, it is not going to be easy for him to qualify the team given the way the campaign started.
Mapeza was given the freedom to select his assistants and he picked Mandla Mpofu and Taurai Mangwiro.
However, he takes over a team at the bottom of their group after a 0-0 draw against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana followed by a 1-0 defeat away to Ethiopia.
Zimbabwe faces the Black Stars of Ghana in back-to-back clashes early next month.
After that, they will make the trip to South Africa before they round off with a home match against Ethiopia.
Only the group winners will qualify to the next stage of the qualifying process.
Five teams from Africa will be part of the 32 teams at the finals next year.
Mapeza will be hoping that the United Kingdom government can relax its strict quarantine requirements so that he can call up the UK-based contingent.
More: NewsDay