Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. HARARE, Nov 5 (NewsDay Live) – The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) has appointed Romanian Marian Marinica as head coach of the Warriors on a one-year contract, but the appointment is seen as controversial given his uneven spells across Africa.
Zifa hailed Marinica as a “highly accomplished Uefa Pro Licensed coach” with more than 25 years of experience across four continents, saying his reputation for developing local coaches and integrating diaspora talent fits the association’s long-term plans.
“We are delighted to welcome Coach Marinica to Zimbabwe,” Zifa president Nqobile Magwizi said.
“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.”
Marinica will immediately begin preparations for friendly matches against Algeria and Qatar and oversee Zimbabwe’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying campaign.
Zifa sought to play up Marinica’s credentials and association with leading football clubs in Europe, calling him “a highly accomplished Uefa Pro Licensed coach” with over 25 years of international coaching and technical experience across four continents-Africa, Europe, Asia and South America.
“He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Coaching from South Bank University (England) and a Diploma in Management, underlining a blend of technical expertise and strategic leadership,” Zifa said.
“Throughout his distinguished career, Marinica has worked 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.
Despite his credentials, Marinica’s recent work has divided opinion.
The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) terminated his contract in April 2023 after poor results, including back-to-back defeats to Egypt in the 2024 Afcon qualifiers.
FAM described the split as mutual, but acknowledged his role in the Flames’ historic run to the last-16 at Afcon 2021.
His exit followed fan protests and calls for his removal in Parliament, with MP Peter Dimba declaring: “We don’t need Marinica. He has to pack and go.”
Reports in Malawi suggest he earned around US$8 000 per month plus allowances, most paid into a Romanian account — another source of criticism.
Marinica’s 2024 stint as Liberia head coach produced two wins, three draws and three losses.
Local media were critical of what they described as overly defensive, direct football, while former international Arnold Kennedy demanded his dismissal, claiming the team was “regressing under his leadership”.
Zifa highlighted Marinica’s links to major European clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Monaco, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
However, Transfermarkt records show those positions were mainly in technical or scouting roles, including a stint coaching Arsenal’s youth team (1999-2001) and scouting for Liverpool (2010-2011).
With Zimbabwean football emerging from years of administrative turmoil and inconsistent performances, Marinica enters under pressure to deliver immediate improvement and win over a wary fanbase.
His mandate is straightforward: turn experience into results — and quickly.
— Additional reporting by Kukurigo
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