Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Warriors touched down in Casablanca, Morocco, yesterday, carrying a clear sense of purpose and fully aware of the expectations back home as the Africa Cup of Nations finals roar into life on Sunday.
The group of 18 players that left Harare on Tuesday evening was due to link up with their Europe-based teammates, who were officially released by their clubs two days ago.
That means coach Marian “Mario” Marinica will only have his full Afcon squad together for the first time today, just four days before Zimbabwe open their Group B campaign against Egypt on Unity Day.
It brings a flicker of concern for the Romanian coach, but the bigger picture remains the Warriors’ readiness to take on the continent’s elite. Alongside Egypt, Zimbabwe will face neighbours South Africa and Angola in a demanding pool.
The Marinica charges go into the group tagged as underdogs, but unlike their previous five appearances at Africa’s biggest football show, the Warriors arrive with a renewed belief and quiet confidence.
That confidence is rooted in the man in charge.
For the first time, Zimbabwe head into an Afcon tournament under a coach who has been there before and achieved what no one else in charge of the national team has managed.
At the 2021 Afcon, staged in Cameroon a year late because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Marinica guided Malawi to the Round of 16, the Flames’ first time getting past the group stage.
They did it with authority, finishing second in a group that included Senegal, Guinea and Zimbabwe, despite being widely tipped to struggle.
Over the past three weeks in camp in Harare, Marinica has worked to embed a philosophy built on speed and relentless intensity.
He now has only a few days to fine-tune the details and bring up to speed those players who were not part of the extended local camp.
While he accepts that his ideas take time to fully settle, Marinica believes the players have grasped enough to begin competing at the required level.
Marinica said, “Well, obviously, it’s a little bit of a challenge, sometimes it takes time, but in order to think fast, act fast, move fast, be all prepared and organised, we have to have a clear strategy, get players to understand exactly their roles and responsibilities in the match.
“Also, we need to make sure that the players understand exactly what they need to do in certain areas, so that tactically and technically, it becomes easier for them to physically apply, mentally to concentrate and socially, meaning that to work as a group at any time, on the pitch, off the pitch, and at the same time, whatever challenges arise, we need to stay together, to work together. So far, we are on a very, very good track.”
Marinica is the first foreign coach to take Zimbabwe to an Afcon tournament and he paid tribute to the groundwork laid by his predecessor, Michael Nees, while acknowledging the scale of the task ahead in Group B.
“I think it’s (Group B) probably one of the toughest groups, you know, the toughest group, but you see, I always say to people, when you qualify for something, you go there with your own chances, so we have to make the most of our chances, you know, thank you to the previous coach, Michael Nees and everyone else, you know, players that actually, for example, they put their effort to help us, you know, to help the country get there.
“Now we have to fight for them, we have to fight for everyone in the country to make sure that we don’t go there to participate, we go there to win, and if we don’t go there to win, it’s, you know, it’s a nonsense to take part in a competition just to go there to participate.
“Obviously, sometimes it may not be possible, but that’s actually our aim, to give, you know, everything we have to take the most of every single match.”
After facing Egypt on Monday, the third meeting between the two nations at this level since 2004, Zimbabwe will take on South Africa on Boxing Day before closing their group campaign against Angola three days later.
Marinica can draw confidence from a squad that appears settled and motivated after Zifa ensured players received their dues ahead of the tournament.
The Warriors will, however, be without two regulars. Jordan Zemura and Marshal Munetsi were ruled out after picking up injuries while on club duty last week.
Munetsi, who also missed the 2021 Afcon because of injury, made a late attempt to push for inclusion in the squad, a move that sparked a social media storm but ultimately changed nothing.
