Warriors Coach Michael Nees Says Squad Selections Will Be Based On Merit
Warriors coach Michael Nees says he will not succumb to undue pressure from player agents who may attempt to influence his selection of the squad, saying players will be chosen based on their merit.
Nees was officially introduced by ZIFA on Thursday, August 22, in Harare. During the event, he addressed journalists and outlined his plans to revive the fortunes of Zimbabwean football. Nees said (via The Herald):
In my previous jobs, which is not exactly how it appears on Wikipedia, I had to deal with a lot of representatives of players.
It’s a fact that players have representatives or agents, but they don’t make selections.
You have to select the best possible team for your upcoming challenges, and I have had no problems with them.
I think we made it crystal clear to them always that there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
A player must perform on the pitch, he must show us he is able, he must show the team he commits the team… For me, the performance on the pitch is everything, nothing else, and I have no family relations or kinship relations here, so you can be assured that I can be objective.
Nees said he will not select players who are not currently affiliated with a club, arguing that match fitness and regular team training are essential requirements for players to be considered.
ZIFA revealed that its technical committee was still finalising the candidates to assist Nees.
Reports suggest a technical committee chaired by former Highlanders chief executive Nhlanhla Dube had shortlisted four names, from which Nees can select his assistants in the coming days.
Nees, who agreed to work with local personnel as part of his contract, was clear on the desired calibre of assistants he wanted to have. He said:
The staff must add value, very simple. If you can get me a copy of me in the staff; we need to complement each other on and off the pitch and of course, they must commit technical understanding; we need also loyalty and to accept the role, that is also very important.
The German tactician is expected to announce the squad for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Kenya and Cameroon in the coming days.
Both matches will be held at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda.
Zimbabwe will host Kenya in Uganda on September 6, before the Warriors welcome Cameroon at the same venue on September 10.
Neither Zimbabwe nor Kenya currently have a stadium approved by CAF to host international football matches.
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