Saintfiet lands Zim job, or not?

NAMIBIA coach Tom Saintfiet is reported to have landed the Zimbabwe top job and this was due to be announced at a press conference on Saturday.

According to an online report on www.newsday.co.zw, ‘the media briefing was cancelled at the last minute amid revelations that (Zimbabwe Football Association) Zifa president Cuthbert Dube opposed Saintfiet’s appointment’.The report also says Dube may instead have taken ‘a unilateral decision to employ Norman Mapeza as substantive mentor after he felt that the committee assigned to choose the coach had done a clumsy job’.Saintfiet was to be assisted by former Highlanders winger Madinda Ndlovu and Friday Phiri. He had been elected into the line-up allegedly by the southern region bloc while Phiri had been elevated because of his close ties with Zifa board member Solomon Mugavazi.The Namibian Sport tried to get hold of the Belgian, but he could not be reached to confirm or deny the report. Saintfiet has time and again denied that he is looking for greener pastures, having been linked to a number of coaching positions on the continent in recent times. However he has reportedly already held secret talks with Zifa, which confirmed that he was shortlisted for the post.The ongoing confusion surrounding the whole issue reportedly reflects badly on the Zifa board that promised to be transparent in all their business transactions. Saintfiet himself has claimed that the constant links to other countries coaching posts are tainting his reputation. It appears that the recent 3-1 defeat by Gambia in an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier and 2-0 friendly loss to India may have detracted his suitors’ interest in his services. Two weeks ago, a report claimed the troubled coach had been fired as Brave Warriors head coach but the Namibia Football Association (NFA) dismissed it as a rumour.sheefeni@namibian.com.na.