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.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by NewsDay Zimbabwe.
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Mnangagwa's daughter-in-law has been granted US$1,000 bail. This development was reported alongside other news items including an increase in electricity generation by 20.9% in Q1, the Registrar-General taking over the voters' roll for October by-elections, and Herentals Queens beginning Caf Women’s Champions League qualifiers.
Zimbabwean news includes the granting of US$1,000 bail to Mnangagwa’s daughter-in-law. Other reports indicate that electricity generation increased by 20.9% in the first quarter, and the Registrar-General is set to take over the voters’ roll in preparation for October by-elections. Additionally, Herentals Queens have begun their Caf Women’s Champions League qualifiers, and the records of Kanyekanye and Kunaka have been merged in a US$663,000 fraud case.
Two people remain on the official missing persons list two weeks after the Kariba ferry disaster, which has claimed 95 lives. Search and rescue teams, including the Zimbabwe National Army, police sub-aqua Unit, and local divers, continue to search Lake Kariba and its shoreline. Authorities confirmed that 77 people survived the disaster and 95 bodies have been recovered. However, the official number of people aboard the vessel remains unknown, complicating efforts to account for everyone. Families of the missing continue to visit Kariba Hospital, hoping for identification and return of their loved ones. Civil Protection Unit chairperson Cecilia Chitiyo stated that search teams are working to account for all missing persons and urged relatives to visit Kariba Hospital for identification assistance. One unidentified female body recovered from Lake Kariba is currently at Kariba Hospital mortuary. Government and partners have provided funeral assistance and psychosocial support to families of the 95 confirmed victims, with Old Mutual also offering free services. These support structures remain available for families of those still missing.