Zimbabwe have parted ways with head coach Michael Nees after a poor run of results in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, Afrosport reports.
The decision was confirmed in a statement released by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) on Wednesday.
Nees, 58, failed to guide the Warriors to a single win in their 10 qualifying matches for next summer’s World Cup, drawing five and losing five. Zimbabwe finished bottom of their group, which was won by neighbours South Africa, who secured automatic qualification for the finals.
The German coach managed just two victories in 16 matches since taking charge last year, both coming against Namibia in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
In a statement, ZIFA announced that the Executive Committee had decided to terminate Nees’s contract with immediate effect, thanking him for his service and commitment to Zimbabwean football.
“ZIFA remains firmly committed to strengthening its technical development programs and ensuring continued progress in all areas of the game in line with its reform and restructuring agenda. Further information regarding the transition process and interim technical arrangements will be communicated in due course,” the statement added.
Attention now turns to Zimbabwe’s AFCON campaign, where they have been drawn alongside Egypt, South Africa and Angola in Group B. The tournament will take place in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
