BY DENNIS MABUKA
The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) has confirmed the sacking of coach Zdravko Logarusic just one and a half years after he took charge of the national team.
A statement from Zimbabwe FA signed by Communication & Competitions Manager Xolisani Gwesela revealed the two parties had parted ways in an amicable way and further confirmed the entire technical bench had also been disbanded.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association would like to inform the football fraternity and the nation at large that it has amicably parted ways with senior men’s team coach Zdravko Logarusic,” read part of the statement.
“The decision was arrived at upon consideration by the full Executive Committee of all the various relevant circumstances pertaining to the coach’s contract. The entire technical team has also been disbanded.”
The statement continued: “The appointment of the interim technical team shall be announced in due course as the Executive Committee has already set in motion the process.”
The decision to sack the Croatian tactician comes just five days after the Warriors suffered a 1-0 defeat against Ethiopia in their second Group G match of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign.
Zimbabwe had opened their campaign to reach Qatar with a home game against South Africa which ended in a 0-0 draw and the outcome of the two matches has seen them lying bottom of the group with a single point.
Logarusic penned a two-year contract to handle Zimbabwe on January 29, 2020, and he oversaw a total of 14 matches, managing one win, eight defeats, and five draws.
He joined the Warriors to replace Sunday Chidzambwa, who had resigned from the seat after the team’s dismal performances at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
Before joining Zimbabwe, 55-year-old Croat Logarusic enjoyed a good spell with Sudan, guiding them to a third-place finish at the 2018 African Nations Championship (Chan) as well as the group phase of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Zimbabwe will next face Ghana’s Black Stars in the qualifiers with the first meeting set for October 6 away and then they return home to host them on October 10. – GOAL