David Beckham’s room at Schlosshotel Buhlerhohe Hotel at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany was so well-prepared, that someone was assigned to sleep in it first to make sure everything was up to standard, before the then England captain occupied it.
That is what Warriors coach Michael Nees told FIFA Forward manager Kudzai Chitima before the start of the Zimbabwe’s 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign.
Put simply, Nees —who was part of the England support staff at the 2006 World Cup, demanded that Chitima pays attention to every detail in making sure that players are well-prepared for matches.
The welfare of the Warriors, including tickets, flights, hotel booking, diet, transportation, the organization of training facilities and remuneration of players in the AFCON qualifying campaign, was Chitima’s responsibility.
He had to be on point, to avoid Nees’ wrath, as the German expatriate is one very attentive coach.
“The coach (Nees) was very clear in terms of how we should prepare players for matches. I learnt a lot from him due to his insistence on paying attention to detail,” said Chitima.
“Of all the important things I learnt, I vividly remember the coach telling me that in a hotel, I shouldn’t put players in rooms too close to elevators, as that could possibly affect their sleep,” revealed Chitima
What made Chitima’s task more difficult, was the fact that Zimbabwe had no stadium certified by CAF to host international matches, hence the Warriors had to ‘host’ their Group J opponents, away from home.
When Chitima touched down at the Entebbe International Aiport in Uganda two days before the Warriors’ arrival there, it was the soft-spoken administrator’s first time in the East African country.
He had to over overcome the newcomer reality, to make sure the Warriors had everything they needed before their arrival for their first two matches of the campaign – against Kenya and Cameroon at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.
“That was my first time in Uganda. I didn’t even know if the people there spoke English or not, I simply had to be there before the team (Warriors) arrived, to make sure everything was in place.
Arguably the biggest challenge faced by Chitima during the Warriors’ stay in Uganda, was the circus caused by the wrangles between the Samuel Eto’o-led Cameroonian federation —FECAFOOT and the country’s Sports Ministry.
Two different Cameroonian delegations arrived in Uganda demanding everything that the host team (in this case Zimbabwe) ought to do for a visiting team in terms of CAF regulations.
“It was a complex issue,” recalls Chitima.
“We were the host and Cameroon were the visiting team. So due to their internal problems, two delegations were demanding to be treated the way we ought to have treated a visiting team. We had to manage the situation so that it didn’t affect our own preparations but doing so on foreign soil is by no means easy,” he added.
In Uganda, the Warriors played out two goalless draws against Kenya and Cameroon and collected two crucial points, kickstarting the road to Morocco on a positive note in the process.
Then came the two ‘home’ matches in South Africa, where the Warriors hosted Namibia at the Orlando Stadium in October, before the decisive fixture against Kenya at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, back in November.
In the end, the Warriors booked a place at the AFCON finals in Morocco after finishing second in Group J, to the delight of football-loving Zimbabweans and Nees singled out Chitima, and ZIFA CEO Yvonne Mapika Manwa, for praise.
“I want to thank the ZIFA administration, the CEO Yvonne (Manwa) Kudzai (Chitima) and the whole staff for their work,” said Nees after the 1-1 draw with Kenya, which confirmed qualification for AFCON.
“Because from the first day I arrived here (in Zimbabwe) three months ago, I was fully supported. There were no interference or fishy smells around the team like what it should be in football.
“I know there are a lot of criticism around them but after working with a lot of CEO and many federations in the past, you should be happy to have them at ZIFA right now,” added Nees.
The unheralded part of the Warriors’ successful AFCON campaign is that throughout the entire battle, unlike in previous ones, there were no issues with regards to either players being booked in 2-star hotels, difficulties in travel arrangements, as well as some delays in the payment of allowances, thanks to Chitima’s efforts and commitment.
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