Marian “Mario” Marinica has been appointed as the new head coach of the Zimbabwe Senior Men’s National Football Team.
The experienced coach, who previously managed the national teams of Malawi and Liberia, brings with him over 25 years of experience in football.
The Romanian tactician has also worked with top European clubs such as Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, Internazionale Milano, AS Monaco, Liverpool FC, and Tottenham Hotspur. Football fans are eager to see how he will perform at the upcoming AFCON tournament.
Marinica replaces Michael Nees, who was dismissed following a string of poor results. His first assignments will be the upcoming friendly matches against Qatar and Algeria.
In an official statement, ZIFA said:
“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.
Throughout his career, Marinica has worked with several prestigious clubs, including Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, Internazionale Milano, AS Monaco, Liverpool FC, and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as the national teams of Paraguay, Mauritius, Malawi, and Liberia.
Under Marinica’s leadership, Malawi reached the Round of 16 at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in their history, while Liberia became the highest climber in the FIFA Rankings in June 2024.”