‘I’ll instil winning mentality’
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Sunday, 04 August 2013 00:00
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Langton NyakwendaNew Warriors coach Ian “Dibango” Gorowa has inherited a squad whose image has been battered and says he comes in with an immediate mandate to restore the winning mentality that has disappeared in recent years. A student of Dutch football, thanks to his lengthy
stint with Ajax Cape Town of South Africa who enjoy a healthy twinning partnership with Netherlands soccer giants Ajax Amsterdam, Gorowa believes in what he calls “direct football with results.”
Gorowa had the privilege of shuttling between South Africa and the Netherlands when he was the development coach for Ajax Cape Town and says he learnt “quite a lot from those exchange programmes.”
“We have a strong talent base among our local players but what has been missing is that habit of winning. “Restoring the winning mentality and the pride of the national team is uppermost in my mind as I embark on my mission,” said Gorowa after yesterday’s morning session at Rufaro.
Gazing into the future, the former Black Rhinos and Dynamos striker has a strong belief in the locally-based players from whom he sees passion, eagerness and hidden talent.“I have seen a lot of potential and have faith in the local players I am working with, although we will cast our net wider. Sometimes it is not necessary to bring in foreign-based players when we have better players in those positions,” said Gorowa.
The new Warriors gaffer has already dumped the much-hyped tiki-taka style of football — popularised in the country by departed German coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels — in favour of a more direct attacking style of play anchored on a 4-3-3 formation.
“Honestly I do not know much about this tiki-taka and I hear it mostly in the media. We do not have to make all those short passes for the sake of it, we need passes that get the ball into opponent territory swiftly so that we exert pressure. As much as we have to pass the ball, we also need to do it for a reason.
“I believe a 4-3-3 formation gives my players enough space to express themselves and we are guaranteed of more attacks that way,” said the 41-year-old Mbare-born mentor. Gorowa is still to sign a contract but the Zifa board member (competitions), Benedict “Grinder” Moyo, revealed that the youthful coach “will be here for a long time.”
“Gorowa has been part of our rebuilding exercise for some time but we have now elevated him to the head coach’s post. His contract is still being worked out and the issue is part of (yesterday’s) board meeting but what I can assure you is that Gorowa will be with the Warriors for a long time,” said Moyo.
Gorowa played for Black Rhinos and Dynamos before moving to South Africa where he turned out for the now defunct Cape Town Spurs where he made a name as an attacking winger.
His playing career ended abruptly at the age of 29 due to injury and he became the Spurs’ assistant coach. When Seven Stars merged with Cape Town Spurs Stars to form Ajax Cape Town, Gorowa was roped in by Ajax chief executive John Comitis as one of the development coaches.
He then went on to become the team’s assistant coach and worked with gaffer Muhsin Ertugral to win the 2007 ABSA Cup — the club’s first major trophy since 2000. He later coached Moroka Swallows and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
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stint with Ajax Cape Town of South Africa who enjoy a healthy twinning partnership with Netherlands soccer giants Ajax Amsterdam, Gorowa believes in what he calls “direct football with results.”
Gorowa had the privilege of shuttling between South Africa and the Netherlands when he was the development coach for Ajax Cape Town and says he learnt “quite a lot from those exchange programmes.”
“We have a strong talent base among our local players but what has been missing is that habit of winning. “Restoring the winning mentality and the pride of the national team is uppermost in my mind as I embark on my mission,” said Gorowa after yesterday’s morning session at Rufaro.
Gazing into the future, the former Black Rhinos and Dynamos striker has a strong belief in the locally-based players from whom he sees passion, eagerness and hidden talent.“I have seen a lot of potential and have faith in the local players I am working with, although we will cast our net wider. Sometimes it is not necessary to bring in foreign-based players when we have better players in those positions,” said Gorowa.
The new Warriors gaffer has already dumped the much-hyped tiki-taka style of football — popularised in the country by departed German coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels — in favour of a more direct attacking style of play anchored on a 4-3-3 formation.
“Honestly I do not know much about this tiki-taka and I hear it mostly in the media. We do not have to make all those short passes for the sake of it, we need passes that get the ball into opponent territory swiftly so that we exert pressure. As much as we have to pass the ball, we also need to do it for a reason.
“I believe a 4-3-3 formation gives my players enough space to express themselves and we are guaranteed of more attacks that way,” said the 41-year-old Mbare-born mentor. Gorowa is still to sign a contract but the Zifa board member (competitions), Benedict “Grinder” Moyo, revealed that the youthful coach “will be here for a long time.”
“Gorowa has been part of our rebuilding exercise for some time but we have now elevated him to the head coach’s post. His contract is still being worked out and the issue is part of (yesterday’s) board meeting but what I can assure you is that Gorowa will be with the Warriors for a long time,” said Moyo.
Gorowa played for Black Rhinos and Dynamos before moving to South Africa where he turned out for the now defunct Cape Town Spurs where he made a name as an attacking winger.
His playing career ended abruptly at the age of 29 due to injury and he became the Spurs’ assistant coach. When Seven Stars merged with Cape Town Spurs Stars to form Ajax Cape Town, Gorowa was roped in by Ajax chief executive John Comitis as one of the development coaches.
He then went on to become the team’s assistant coach and worked with gaffer Muhsin Ertugral to win the 2007 ABSA Cup — the club’s first major trophy since 2000. He later coached Moroka Swallows and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
// View the discussion thread. blog comments powered by DISQUS back to top
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