Mapeza returns as caretaker Zimbabwe coach on three-month deal

Zimbabwe (in yellow) were held to a goalless draw by visiting South Africa in a World Cup qualifier earlier this month

Former international Norman Mapeza has been named as caretaker coach of Zimbabwe's national football team once more.

Zimbabwe's FA (Zifa) has given him a three-month contract, which runs until the end of the group stage of 2022 World Cup qualifying.

The 49-year-old has been Zimbabwe's caretaker coach several times in the past, most recently in 2017.

His first games in charge will be October's back-to-back World Cup qualifiers against Ghana, who are also looking to appoint a new coach.

He is joined by assistant coaches Taurayi Mangwiro and Mandla Mpofu, who both coach local league teams, with Zimbabwe's former number one Energy Murambadoro as goalkeeping coach.

"The new technical team shares the vision that the association has for the Warriors, and we wish them all the best during their tenure," Zifa said in a statement.

The body will then have to decide who will lead Zimbabwe at January's 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon, where the team will face Senegal, Guinea and Malawi.

Former Liverpool and Zimbabwe keeper Bruce Grobbelaar has already expressed his interest in the post which became available after Zdravko Logarusic was dismissed, along with his coaching team, on Sunday.

Zifa sacked the Croat after a goalless draw with South Africa and a last-minute 1-0 loss to Ethiopia left the Warriors bottom of Group G of World Cup qualifying.

He also coached clubs in South Africa after being given a six-month ban by Zifa in 21012 for 'allowing players to take money to lose at the 2009 Cecafa Cup.'

Mapeza always denied any involvement in the scandal and the criminal cases against him and others were later dropped.