“…all the other matches Pasuwa led such as in Cote D’ivoire where he drew, in Cameroon where he drew – all those are big teams. Even when he fought Algeria which has now withstood Senegal…”

The late Reinhard Fabisch might have turned the National Sports Stadium into a fortress causing them to beat some of the continental giants like Cameroon, Guinea and Egypt, but Kallisto Pasuwa has outshined him.

The touching image of Pasuwa and his blanket as the Warriors headed to Malawi by bus to kick-start their Afcon 2017 qualification campaign in June 2016 is iconic.

In its thousand words, that picture epitomises how much the former Dynamos coach loved his job and gave it his all, never mind his technical deficiencies.

His decision to turn down a jaw dropping offer from Tanzania to concentrate on the Warriors’ Afcon 2017 campaign was more than ample evidence of his dedication.

Hours before Zimbabwe played Malawi in the opening Afcon qualifier in Blantyre, Pasuwa revealed to The Sunday Mail Sport why he was prepared to keep slogging on despite a toxic operating environment.

“There is nowhere in the world where you will find the perfect environment, one thing I was taught at a young age is to make do with what is there. Being the national team coach is a dream come true and I have to make the best of this opportunity,” Pasuwa said.

But patriotism doesn’t win you matches and Pasuwa is paying the price for failing to step up to the plate at major tournaments.

Now as his lanky figure slowly slouches from the scene, Zifa start the process of hunting for a new coach.

However, with perennially empty coffers and a history of making shockingly absurd decisions, that exercise may deliver more pain relief for the Warriors’ long-suffering fans.

Zifa president Phillip Chiyangwa says he will announce “the way forward” after going through the Afcon head of delegation’s report and the High Perfomance Committee’s recommendations.

“I am accountable to congress so before I say anything I am under the football guidelines compelled to read these reports, make a few phone calls and then announce the way forward,” he told the state media.

Mr Chiyangwa also told ZimEye last week Pasuwa will remain in place although he could go following committee decisions.

He continued saying, “You will notice everywhere there is a war, Pasuwa being ambushed, people saying, “Batai munhu uyu!”

“I was in Johannesburg, I have only just arrived. I have not even seen the Head Of Delegation’s report… spoke to the Head Of Delegation (via phone) and he said to me ‘we are now flying back’.

“This is how things work: you wait for a briefing from the head of delegation, he is the one to tell me if there is anything else.”

Chiyangwa added complaining that Pasuwa is being attacked for his performance at this cup but people are disregarding his successes at other matches. “What about all the other matches Pasuwa led such as in Cote D’ivoire where he drew, in Cameroon where he drew – all those are big teams. Even when he fought Algeria which has now withstood Senegal,” Chiyangwa told ZimEye.

The ZIFA boss criticised people who “speak before they have thoroughly exhausted introspection into where Pasuwa came from.” – state media/additional reporting