THE Zimbabwe senior men’s national football team, the Warriors, have a new gaffer, but the announcement has been met with a mixture of scepticism and cautious optimism from the local football fraternity.
Romanian coach Marian Marinica (59) was unveiled late on Tuesday night, replacing Michael Nees, and is immediately plunged into a baptism of fire with friendly matches against Qatar and Algeria less than a week away.
Marinica’s primary mandate is a significant one: to guide the Warriors to the second round of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Morocco.
The Warriors are in a difficult group that includes South Africa, Egypt and Angola.
However, he faces the equally challenging task of winning over a large segment of the fanbase that is unconvinced by his hiring, especially given the reported interest from renowned coaches like Sam Allardyce, Chris Hughton and Harry Redknapp.
Marinica was selected from a final shortlist that also included Stuart Baxter, Patrice Neveu, Antonio Conceicao and Luis Goncalves.
The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) issued a statement expressing strong confidence in their choice.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) is pleased to announce the appointment of Marian (Mario) Marinica as the new head coach of the Zimbabwe senior men’s national football team, the Warriors, on a one-year contract,” the statement read.
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“A highly accomplished Uefa Pro Licensed coach, Marinica brings over 25 years of international coaching and technical experience across four continents...”
The statement highlighted his impressive CV, noting his work with several prestigious clubs and national teams including Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, Internazionale Milano, AS Monaco, Liverpool FC, and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as the Paraguay, Mauritius, Malawi and Liberia national teams.
It further credited him with leading Malawi to their best-ever finish — the Round of 16 — at the 2022 Afcon and Liberia becoming the highest climber in the Fifa rankings in June 2024.
Zifa president Nqobile Magwizi added: “We are delighted to welcome coach Marinica to Zimbabwe.
“His wealth of experience, modern football philosophy, and proven results at international level make him the ideal candidate to lead the Warriors into a new era.
“His appointment reflects ZIFA’s commitment to building a competitive and sustainable football structure...”
Despite the glowing endorsement from Zifa, a significant number of fans who took to Facebook to air their views are far from impressed, believing the new coach is little better than his predecessor, Nees.
Former Warriors player Cephas Chimedza offered a sarcastic welcome: “Welcome Marian. Be our Moses, tiyambutsewo (lead us through). He was a scout for most of his career.”
The term “plumber” — often used by disenchanted fans to describe uninspiring foreign coaches — resurfaced, with Donald Nyakudya commenting: “Another plumber. Zifa is never serious; always throwing jokes around. Didn’t this Mario fail with the Malawian national team? Nees is better than this one.”
Kuziva Flynn Chikwani chimed in with a similar sentiment: “To be fair, Zimbabwe is a farming country saka (so) it’s not surprising they hire a farmer.”
Another fan, Michael Takunda, pointed to Marinica’s past with Malawi: “Malawi chaiyo yakatoona kuti Pasuwa ari nani imi makutora munhu iyeye hapana kwatikuenda. Haaa dzinenge ndidzo dzanga dzakachipa pamarket (Malawi saw that [Kalisto] Pasuwa is better, and you go on to hire someone who was replaced. We are not going anywhere. Seems like he was the cheapest on the market).”
Calls for more transparency in the hiring process were also made, with Henry Mandipaza questioning: “Since this is a critical position which the nation is concerned about, Zifa must openly gazette all the candidates who apply for this post, but the secrecy is a cause of concern.”
Vusimuzi Dabengwa simply asked: “What criteria do you use to select the coach? Do you choose based on salary or what?”
However, some fans urged patience and a focus on the coach’s potential impact on the local game.
Said Allan Tinotenda: “I will give him a benefit of doubt. The guy emphasises the importance of grassroots football and junior development, which is what is needed in Zim football right now.
“Being a former PL manager doesn’t mean you’re a good coach, so kudos to Zifa for acknowledging that.”
Belick T Spencer concurred: “I think sometimes before we judge, we have to trust the process... The experience can be there from the coach, which requires an execution from the players. Remember the coach has a skill in mind, not the skill in the legs. Trust the process.”
Only time will tell if Marinica’s “modern football philosophy” can translate into the results which Zifa and the long-suffering Warriors fans desperately crave, starting with a rapid team assembly for the upcoming friendlies.
