Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
EVERYTHING about them now seems different.
And coach Marian Marinica — with a different profile and refreshing approach — has pitched the melody very high.
It is only normal that expectations are also high as the Warriors face old rivals Egypt in their Africa Cup of Nations opener at the Stade de Agadir in Morocco tonight.
The match gets underway at 10pm.
Back home, the country is coming together to celebrate National Unity.
Festivities have been lined up across the nation during the day and come 10pm, the country will huddle together behind the Warriors and the badge.
It’s the first time that the Warriors are involved in such a mega competition during the festive season.
Somehow, that has raised the hunger amongst Zimbabweans who will celebrate their holidays hoping the Warriors will deliver the icing on the cake.
The players fully know they are not alone and somehow understand the expectations from a people united with them in spirit, backing them from different towns and villages back home.
The reality, though, is that Zimbabwe have always found it difficult to break down the Egyptians at this level of competition.
Their Group B showdown tonight marks the third time the two teams will clash in the first game of their AFCON campaigns since 2004.
The Warriors, making their AFCON bow 21 years ago, lost their opening game 2-1 to the Pharaohs despite having broken the ice with former captain Peter Ndlovu opening the scoring with an audacious header off a neat low cross from the late Charles Johane.
In 2019, Zimbabwe again crashed to a 1-0 defeat in the opening game of the continental show-piece.
They have the chance to finally exorcise the ghost under floodlights in Agadir.
All the 27 players in camp are ready for the gigantic clash with Marinica calling on the nation to rally behind the team carried by his “fast and very fast” football, a philosophy he hopes will carry the day.
“Yes, it is a very difficult match (against Egypt), and I believe that all the teams have qualified for a reason because they managed to win the right to participate, and I think all the teams have a chance,” Marinica said.
In all fairness, it is a mission impossible.
Six years ago, Egypt laboured around, with their talisman Mohamed Salah being limited by Divine Lunga so much that he rarely made his presence felt down the channel.
However, some lack of experience and organisation provided an opening at the back, and Zimbabwe conceded what would become the winner for Egypt.
Marinica says Zimbabwe are in Morocco not just to participate, but to compete.
“Obviously Zimbabwe is a team with the chances, and we have prepared very well and expect to have a very good result against all the teams, including Egypt,” he said.
“We haven’t come here to just take part, we’ve just come here to qualify, so we believe in our chances.
“It’s true that Egypt has fantastic players like Mahmoud, like Mohamed, like obviously Salah, but we believe in our chances and we have players that can produce a surprise.
“We cannot tell you which player is going to produce a surprise because otherwise it won’t be a surprise, but we believe in our chances. So please support us and cheer for us. And we’ll have fun. There is much more to come from this team.”
The Warriors, who arrived in Agadir from Marrakech on Saturday, had a bonding session across the Agadir Beach, enjoying rare sunshine in biting winter conditions in Morocco.
The Warriors, Egypt showdown will come after the Group B opener between Angola and South Africa.
After their clash with Egypt tonight, the Warriors will play Angola on Boxing Day before concluding their group business against Bafana Bafana three days later.
But the first brick to whatever the Warriors want to build in Morocco will be laid tonight.
The question is, how good or bad will it be?
