Online Reporter
Robson Sharuko
Metros Editor
MARIO ‘Super Mario’ Marinica will become the first Warriors coach to celebrate his birthday in camp with the national team as they prepare for the AFCON finals.
The Romanian coach, who has dual British nationality, will turn 61 on Saturday – just three days before he flies out of Harare, with his team, for the AFCON finals in Morocco. Their first showdown in Morocco is a battle against the Pharaohs of Egypt.
It will be a repeat of the two teams’ opening match at the 2019 AFCON finals in Cairo when the Pharaohs, powered by Trezeguet’s 41st minute goal, battled their way to a 1-0 win.
The Warriors, who also lost to Egypt1-2 during their maiden show at the AFCON finals in Tunisia in 2004, will be meeting the Pharaohs for the third time at this tournament.
Super Mario will be returning to the AFCON finals for only the second time as the head coach of a national team. His first dance was at the 2021 AFCON finals in Cameroon when he was in charge of Malawi and, ironically, found himself in the same group as the Warriors. His only win at the AFCON finals remains the come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the Warriors at the Kouekong Stadium in Bafoussam on January 14, 2022.
Gabadinho Mhango scored twice in that match to cancel the opening strike by Ishmael Wadi.
Super Mario has drawn one and lost two of his four matches at the AFCON finals but that one victory, and a draw, helped the Flames reach the knockout phase of the 2021 AFCON finals.
They finished third in the group, with the Warriors finishing last, but Malawi’s points tally was enough to win them a place in the knockout phase as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Super Mario’s Flames battled long and hard in their Round of 16 match against Senegal before falling 1-2.
Mhango finished as one of the top scorers with his three goals giving him third place, alongside a number of other forwards – including Sadio Mane – in the Golden Boot race.
The Warriors know they blew a big chance to qualify for the knockout phase given that a draw against Malawi, and their superb 2-1 win over Guinea, would have been enough to give them a ticket out of their group.
They were under the guidance of Norman Mapeza and he can also point out to how close they came to holding eventual winners Senegal, in their group showdown, to show the Warriors were competitive in Cameroon. In that battle against the Lions of Teranga, the Warriors were good value for a point until Mane converted a penalty in the seventh minute of time added on to decide a tight match.
They say life begins at 40.
This year’s AFCON finals come on the 40th anniversary of the year the Warriors won their first major piece of silverware, the CECAFA Cup, when they beat Kenya 2-0 at Rufaro on October 13, 1985.
