sport🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Zifa appoints Spaniard Ramon Catala as Warriors coach, Croatian Stella Gotal to lead Mighty Warriors
The Zimbabwe Football Association Zifa has announced the appointment of Spaniard Ramon Catala as the new head coach for the senior men’s national team, the Warriors. Concurrently, Croatian Stella Gotal will take charge of the senior women’s national team, the Mighty Warriors. These appointments are part of a comprehensive technical overhaul across all national teams, aligning with Zifa’s Vision 2030 project to establish sustainable technical structures at every age level. Catala, a UEFA Pro Licence holder with experience from Spanish top-flight clubs, replaces Mario Marinica and will be assisted by Marc Sanchez, Vincente Gorona, and Takesure Chiragwi. Gotal, also a UEFA Pro Licence holder, succeeds Sithetheliwe Sibanda, with Arthur Gorejena as her deputy. Former Warriors assistant coach Kaitano Tembo will now coach the national Under-20 team. Catala's immediate focus will be on preparing the Warriors for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which are scheduled to begin in three weeks. Zimbabwe is placed in Group E alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, and Equatorial Guinea, needing a top-two finish to qualify for the finals co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.