Saintfiet’s Zim safari in limbo

TOM Saintfiet is said to be considering to put an end to his pursuit of the Zimbawean Warriors coaching post after his proposed appointment caused a huge storm.

A reliable source in Zimbabwe informed The Namibian Sport yesterday that the Belgian feels he may have bitten off more than he can chew. ‘Saintfiet was a bit put off by the politics his presence in Zim has created,’ said the source, who is employed by a Zimbabwean daily. After his plans to ditch the Brave Warrios hit a snag, Saintfiet appears to be harbouring a guilty conscience, and is looking for sympathy. ‘So he (Saintfiet) was no longer interested in the job. He is said to have told a friend that he was destroyed that he has ‘split’ a nation,’ the source continued. According to the source, Saintfiet has been left frustrated by the Zimbabwe Football Association’s’ (Zifa) lack of urgency in declaring him the new substantive senior national team’s head coach. Zifa was expected to unveil the Belgian as the new Warriors coach after his arrival on Monday, but Zifa president, Cuthbert Dube, had other ideas. The Zimbabwean media and fans have reportedly also not taken a liking to the belgian. Dube ignored the Belgian until Wednesday when the two parties reportedly held in-depth discussions which lasted about two hours. ,’You have to understand one thing, the papers here have launched a spirited campaign to block Saintfiet’s appointment in favour of the local favorite, Norman Mapeza,’ said the source. ‘So newspapers this side have now resorted to creating stories to suit their interests. It has turned ugly!’Whether Saintfiet is appointed, or not, remains to be seen, however, a number of Namibian football pundits feel if Zimbawbwe does not want him then Namibia shouldn’t keep him. They feel his heart has never truly been with the Brave Warriors, from the beginning, and that he has no sense of loyalty. The NFA will be expected to give him the boot should he return.