‘Zimbabwe Has Better Players’: Ramon Catala Says Warriors’ FIFA Ranking Does Not Reflect Their True Quality
Warriors coach Ramon Catala says Zimbabwe’s position on the FIFA rankings gives an inaccurate picture of the talent available to the national team.
The Warriors are currently ranked 130th in the world.
However, Catala has reached a different conclusion after conducting an extensive assessment of the team since taking over.
“I think Zimbabwe has better players than the FIFA rankings suggest.
“That’s why we decided to take up this task, with the hope of improving Zimbabwe’s football,” said Catala while speaking to Zimpapers Sports Hub.
Also Read: ZIFA Appoints Ramon Catala as New Warriors Head Coach
European-Based Players Impress Catala
Catala has also been keeping a close eye on Zimbabweans playing abroad.
He is expected to consider several Europe-based players when selecting his first Warriors squad.
Munashe Garan’anga, Jordan Zemura, Marvelous Nakamba, Marshall Munetsi, Jonah Fabisch and Tawanda Maswanhise are among those who have impressed the new coach.
Catala believes the Warriors have a sizeable pool of players capable of competing at a high level.
“Zimbabwe has players playing in top leagues across Europe.”
“There are players who play so well. It’s difficult to name them all because there are so many good players who can play for us,” said Catala..
AFCON Qualification Is The Immediate Target
Catala was unveiled in Harare on Thursday with a broad mandate to improve Zimbabwean football.
His immediate priority is securing qualification for the next AFCON.
The Warriors will begin their campaign away to Sierra Leone next month.
They are in Group E alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Catala is also expected to establish a recognisable style of play while helping develop Zimbabwe’s junior national teams.
The longer-term objective is to strengthen the Warriors ahead of the 2030 World Cup qualification campaign.
Coach Wants Zimbabwe To Control Games
The Spaniard has already identified one area he wants to improve.
Catala wants the Warriors to become more influential during matches and take greater control of proceedings.
He believes Zimbabwe have shown they can compete with strong opponents.
“I’ve seen Zimbabwe playing against very good teams, like Egypt. Such teams haven’t been able to dominate the matches,” he said.
Catala does not expect the Warriors to control every match from start to finish.
Instead, he wants them to have the ability to adjust their approach depending on the circumstances.
“Obviously, we will not dominate all the matches, but we will do everything possible to win.
“I like to dominate the match because I like to win more. We will also be able to adapt and dominate the game without the ball when the game demands it.
“But our main idea is to try to control every match.”
Limited Time To Implement His Ideas
The new coach accepts that international football presents a major challenge.
Unlike club coaches, national team managers have only a few days to work with their players before matches.
Catala will therefore have to introduce his methods quickly whenever the Warriors assemble.
“National teams are different from clubs because you have less time to train with the players,” he said.
“We will not have a lot of days to train as you do at a club, but in those few days we have, we will try to introduce our philosophy.”
He will be assisted by national Under-23 coach Marc Sanchez, Vicente Girona Izquierdo and CAPS United coach Takesure Chiragwi.
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