The Warriors have settled into Morocco’s biting winter conditions and are putting the final touches to their preparations ahead of a daunting Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group B opener against seven-time champions Egypt at the Stade d’Agadir tomorrow night.
The continental showpiece kicks off today, with hosts Morocco launching the tournament against Comoros in Rabat. Zimbabwe’s campaign begins 24 hours later in what is arguably one of the most demanding groups of the competition, featuring African heavyweights Egypt, regional rivals South Africa and a resurgent Angola side.
After arriving in Morocco on Tuesday, the Warriors initially set up camp in Casablanca before relocating to Agadir earlier this week. Coach Marian “Mario” Marinica and his squad undertook their first training session in the coastal city shortly after the road trip, with the final workout scheduled for today. That session will focus on tactical drills, match sharpness and set-piece routines as Zimbabwe prepare to confront African football royalty.
History casts a long shadow over the fixture. Zimbabwe have faced Egypt in their AFCON group openers twice before — in 2004 and 2019 — and on both occasions emerged narrowly defeated. At their tournament debut in Tunisia in 2004, the Warriors went down 2–1 to the Pharaohs before exiting at the group stage. Fifteen years later, fate paired the two nations again in the opening match of the 2019 finals in Egypt, where Zimbabwe lost 1–0 and once more failed to progress beyond the pools.
Marinica is keenly aware of how pivotal the opening match can be in shaping the trajectory of an AFCON campaign. The Romanian coach has been tasked with breaking a long-standing cycle of near misses and early exits that has come to define Zimbabwe’s tournament history.
Warriors Seek to End Winless Run Against Egypt
Unlike his predecessors, Marinica arrives at the finals with proven AFCON knockout-stage experience. He guided Malawi to a historic Round of 16 appearance at the 2021 tournament, which was staged in Cameroon in 2022 due to COVID-19 disruptions. That accomplishment makes him the first coach to lead Zimbabwe into an AFCON finals with prior experience of navigating beyond the group stages.
It also places him in unique company. Zimbabwe’s past AFCON campaigns under coaches such as Sunday Chidzambwa (2004 and 2019), Charles Mhlauri (2006), Kalisto Pasuwa (2017) and Norman Mapeza (2021) all ended in the group phase. Marinica further breaks new ground as the first foreign coach to take charge of the Warriors at AFCON finals.
Acknowledging the strength of Group B, Marinica has struck a balanced tone — realistic yet defiant. He openly described Egypt as the most successful national team in African football history, while also pointing to South Africa’s recent upward trajectory and Angola’s technical quality. All three opponents, he noted, boast players competing at high levels across Europe and other major leagues.
However, Marinica insists that Zimbabwe’s underdog status should not become a psychological burden.
“We are not here just to make up the numbers,” he said ahead of the tournament. “We respect every opponent, but we have our own plan and identity. Football is played on the pitch, not on paper.”
The coach added that the squad has responded positively to the challenge, with training sessions marked by intensity and focus despite the cold Moroccan conditions.
The Warriors did suffer a late disruption to their preparations when midfielder Andy Rinomhota withdrew from camp on Friday due to pressing family matters. The Reading-based player will miss the entire group stage, and Zimbabwe will not be able to replace him, as CAF regulations only allow squad changes after the group phase.
While Rinomhota’s absence is a blow to the team’s midfield depth, the camp has rallied around the setback. Captain Marvelous Nakamba has urged his teammates to remain composed and fearless, stressing the importance of starting the tournament with belief and collective effort.
Nakamba, one of Zimbabwe’s most experienced internationals, has challenged the squad to embrace the occasion rather than be intimidated by Egypt’s pedigree. He called on his fellow players to give everything from the opening whistle and set a positive tone for the remainder of the campaign.
As Zimbabwe prepare to walk onto the Stade d’Agadir pitch tomorrow night, the familiar ghosts of past AFCON disappointments will linger. Yet under Marinica’s guidance, the Warriors hope this time will be different — that history will be challenged rather than repeated, and that their AFCON journey will finally extend beyond the group stage.
Source- byo24
