daniel chigunwe
Robson Sharuko
Metros Editor
SUPER Mario’s task is simple − he has to try to get us out of the AFCON finals group stages for the FIRST time in our history.
That’s all he needs to transform himself from a coach, who is still doubted by pockets of the Warriors’ fan base, to one who can be wholly embraced like Reinhard Fabisch.
He has three games to work his magic – against record AFCON winners Egypt, neighbours Bafana Bafana and plucky Angola.
If he takes a closer look at our history at the AFCON finals, Super Mario, whose real name is Mario Marinica, will see that there is a common denominator in our results.
He will see that in the five times that we have featured at the AFCON finals, we have lost the same number of games on each occasion we have played there.
We lost TWO games during our maiden appearance at the tournament in 2004 in Tunisia.
That appears to have set the tone for the number of games we have lost at the AFCON finals.
We lost two games at the 2006 AFCON finals.
And, that is exactly the number of games we lost at the 2017 AFCON finals, the number of games we lost at the 2019 AFCON finals and the number of games we lost at the 2021 AFCON finals.
This means that if Super Mario manages to just ensure that his defence holds firm, and we do as well as we did in Durban against Bafana Bafana in October, we have a chance to ensure that we change the script in terms of the games we lose.
These days at AFCON, losing one game, winning one and drawing the other is usually a ticket into the Round of 16.
That was how Super Mario managed to take Malawi into that phase of AFCON in 2021.
All the three teams we will meet in the group stages are familiar opponents for the Warriors.
Bafana Bafana were our last opponents, among the three teams, and we held them to a goalless draw in a World Cup qualifier despite having been a man down.
Super Mario was hired to change our poor record at the AFCON finals.
His his first test will come on Monday when the Warriors take on Mohamed Salah and his Pharaohs.
The Warriors have won just THREE of the 15 matches we have played at the AFCON finals, which all came in the last 21 years.
If the AFCON finals were played every year, the Warriors winning record would translate to an average of one win in every seven years.
The Warriors have lost 10 games and drawn just TWO.
This means we have picked just 11 points, from a possible 45 points, in the 15 games we have played at the AFCON finals.
In terms of percentages, we have picked just 24,44 percent of the points which were on offer in the 15 group matches we have played at the AFCON finals.
Can Super Mario change that?
Soon, we will know.
Online Reporter