New Zim coach outlines his plans
The new Zimbabwe national team coach, German born Klaus Dieter Pagels, is not new to the local game having being attached to the Warriors as Technical Director through his stay in the country.
We talk to him about his new role with the team and his hopes for the future of the Warriors.
SuperSport.com: How is it so far?
Dieter Pagels (DP): So far I can’t say much because it just been meetings with Zifa board to work on the way forward.
SuperSport.com: Did it come as a surprise to you to be announced as Warriors coach?
DP: Not really because we had been talking with the board before. But what surprised me was how fast it happened.
Supersport.com: How tough will it be to rebuild the team?
DP: Any job has its own challenges and this one is not different. We are working together as a team and it won’t be that tough because there are different people with different duties and together we will make the job easier.
SuperSport.com: Are you up for the challenge?
DP: I have to be. This is a national team and I have to do what the board wants to happen together with my technical team. Zifa has proposed that the team be built on the youth.
Supersport.com: How tough will that be?
DP: That’s a good move and there are many good young players who can make it into the team. We will be looking at them from now.
Supersport.com: You are also involved in women’s football. How will you mix the two?
DP: In many cases, they happen at different times. I am involved in development in general and I will continue to do that when the national team is not playing.
Supersport.com: The team has so far drawn twice in the World Cup qualifiers. How do you look at winning the group?
DP: We still have a chance of doing very well in our group. I have hopes and dreams for the team that we can fulfil.
SuperSport.com: You still have to play Egypt twice home and away.
DP: Yes that’s true. We can win both home and away, it’s not a problem. We just have to be determined and confident that we can do it.
Supersport.com: After draws with Guinea and Mozambique, do you think you can win the rest of the games?
DP: We can. It is just a matter of working hard on what we want to achieve and go all out to win. Whether it’s home or away we just have to win.
Supersport.com: What will be the approach going into these qualifiers?
DP: Attacking football. But we also have to defend well so that we don’t expose ourselves at the back. But we need to win all the four remaining games if we want to finish the group on top.
Supersport.com: Lastly what would be your message to the Zimbabwe football loving people?
DP: They have to be patient as we try to rebuild the team. This is the time when we need their support the most.
