Norman Mapeza

Father's Death

His father Michael Mapeza died in a private Harare hospital on 7 January 2020 aged 81.

Mapeza confirmed his father's death. He said his father was taken to hospital on 4 January 2021 complaining of all symptoms of Covid-19. On 6 January 2021 he was reported to have improved and feeling better and was even asking for some fruits. Mapeza said the family thought he was recovering only for his nephew to telephone him with the news of his father's demise.

His father's death came hours after Mapeza’s team had lost 3-0 to Tanzanian side, Simba FC, in a CAF Champions League match which many said was influenced by match officials.^[3]

Playing career

Norman Mapeza started his football career at Darryn Textiles Football Club under the watchful eye of respected Polish coach Wieslaw Grabowski before he moved to Poland. He moved to Europe to play with Sokół Pniewy in the Polish Ekstraklasa for the 1993–94 season. He is one of the very few Zimbabwean footballers that played mainstream soccer in Europe and played regularly for Galatasaray. He later on played for several Turkish clubs including Ankaragücü, Altay S.K. and Malatyaspor. He became the second Zimbabwean player to have played in the UEFA Champions League after Liverpool legend Bruce Grobbelaar.^[4] Mapeza is said to have played about five Champions league matches for Turkish giants Galatasaray all 90 minutes as a defensive midfielder against other European heavyweights such as FC Barcelona and Manchester United rubbing shoulders with players such as Romario, Pep Guardiola, Ronald Koeman, Peter Schmeichel, Roy Keane, Paul Ince, Ryan Giggs and Mark Hughes.^[4]

Coaching Career

Mapeza started his professional career as assistant coach to Charles Mhlauri at CAPS United Football Club in 2004 but his stay was not long. He later decided to take up full time coaching as the head with the now defunct Monomotapa Football Club in 2008 where he won the league title after pipping Dynamos Football Club to the title. He then left at the end of the season and concentrated on something else for some time before taking the Warriors post later. He also coached FC Platinum with which he won two titles before leaving the club in September 2019 to join South African PSL team Chippa United in October 2019. His stay at Chippa did not last as he left the club early March 2020 and his departure surprised a lot because he had turned around Chippa's fortunes.^[5]

Former Zimbabwean national team coach Norman Mapeza was expected to be announced and unveiled as the new head coach of Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila FC (TTM) in September 2020. Mapeza was approached after the club bought the franchise of Bidvest Wits and decided not to negotiate with coach Gavin Hunt who joined Kaizer Chiefs.^[6] He trained the team in Limpopo despite the club finances being the hindrance in his unveiling.^[7]

On 20 November 2020, FC Platinum announced that they had re-engaged with Norman Mapeza after mutually parting ways with Hendrikus Pieter de Jongh. His immediate task was to take the team to the CAF Champions League preliminary round against Costa do Sol of Mozambique.

League Titles

Mapeza won his first of four Premier Soccer League titles in 2008 with Monomopata Football.

Thereafter, he won the title with FC Platinum three times, including during the 2022 season with four games to spare.^[8]

Warriors

In August and September 2007, Mapeza also took charge of Zimbabwe's senior men's national football team on an interim basis.^[9][10][11]

In the beginning of May 2010, Mapeza was appointed caretaker manager of Zimbabwe once again.^[12] He resigned in November 2010.^[13]

In March 2011, Mapeza was again appointed Zimbabwe manager for a third spell in four years.^[14] In February 2012, he was suspended from his job as Zimbabwe's national football team manager for alleged match-fixing.^[15]

On the 15th of September 2021, Mapeza was appointed caretaker manager of the Zimbabwe national football team.^[16] He left the interim post after the Afcon 2021 finals in January 2022.^[17]

Clubs Played For

• Darryn Textiles Football Club
• CAPS United Football Club
• Ajax Cape Town
• Galatasaray^[1]

Accolades

• Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League winner (2008 with Monomotapa Football Club, 2017, 2018 and 2019 with FC Platinum)

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Match Fixing Allegations

Mapeza was also accused of having taken part in a series of fixed matches together with players such as Knowledge Musona, Ovidy Karuru including the then ZIFA Boss, Henrietta Rushwaya.^[1] At the time the allegations against Mapeza were made, he was still the head coach of the national team but was eventually suspended before being dismissed. Following his dismissal from the warriors job, Mapeza sued ZIFA for damages for unfair labour practices. In 2012, Arbitrator, Caleb Mucheche, ruled that the indefinite suspension of Mapeza on allegations of match-fixing was illegal and directed ZIFA and Mapeza to agree on the quantification of the outstanding payments.

After the parties failed to agree, Mapeza took the case back to Mucheche for quantification. On 6 March 2013, Mucheche ordered Zifa to pay Mapeza the net sum of US$243 546,52 as damages with interest thereon at the rate of 5 percent per annum with effect from October 25, 2012, to the date of full payment.^[18]

Trvia

Mapeza is neighbours with Zimbabwean tennis legend, Byron Black

References