The Zimbabwe Football Association has appointed Ramon Catala as head coach of the Warriors and Stella Gotal for the Mighty Warriors on August 20, 2026. This announcement marks a significant restructuring of Zimbabwe's national football teams, aimed at creating a unified development pathway from youth levels to senior teams.

Ramon Catala, a UEFA Pro Licence holder, brings over 30 years of coaching experience, having worked with clubs such as Celta Vigo, Espanyol, Real Zaragoza, and Dynamo Kyiv. He will be supported by fellow Spaniards Marc Sanchez and Vicente Girona Izquierdo, as well as Zimbabwean coach Takesure Chiragwi. Catala's primary focus will be preparing the Warriors for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which begin in September 2026. The team is placed in Group E alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, and Equatorial Guinea.

Stella Gotal, also a UEFA Pro Licence holder, becomes the first foreign coach to lead Zimbabwe's senior women's national team. She has previously worked within Croatia's women's national team structures and most recently managed Gibraltar's senior women's team. Gotal will be assisted by Arthur Gorejena.

ZIFA's restructuring is part of its Dream 2030 project, which aims to establish a sustainable coaching framework across all national teams. ZIFA President Nqobile Magwizi emphasized that the initiative seeks to build a cohesive system where players identified at the Under-15 level can progress through to the senior teams. "Today is not simply about announcing coaches. It is about announcing a new technical direction for Zimbabwean football," Magwizi stated.

The new coaching appointments extend beyond the senior teams. Kaitano Tembo has been appointed head coach of the men's Under-20 team, with Tafadzwa Mashiri leading the Under-17 boys and Backlyfield Chivenga overseeing the Under-15 boys. On the women's side, Rosemary Mugadza will coach the Under-20 girls, while Jatson Maphosa and Irene Mwanza will lead the Under-17 and Under-15 girls, respectively.

ZIFA aims to create a recognizable Zimbabwean football identity by integrating international coaching methodologies with local talent. The association's long-term goal is to ensure that Zimbabwean teams consistently qualify for major international tournaments, including the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup.

As the Warriors prepare for their first match under Catala against Sierra Leone on September 23, 2026, the focus will be on establishing a competitive team that embodies the new philosophy. Catala has expressed his ambition for the team to be aggressive and dominant in play, stating, "We want to be a very difficult team to play against."

The appointments of Catala and Gotal signal a new era for Zimbabwean football, with ZIFA committed to fostering a sustainable development pathway that nurtures talent from the grassroots level to the national teams.