Marinica Unveils Fresh Game Plan as Warriors Face Qatar

The Zimbabwe senior men’s football team is set to trial a fresh tactical direction under head coach Marian Mario Marinica when they take on Qatar in their second international friendly at the Abdulla Bin Khalifa Stadium on Monday.

The clash comes at a crucial time for the Warriors, who are still chasing their first win in nearly a year and are looking to regain stability ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco. Both players and technical staff say the focus is now on rebuilding confidence and restoring belief in the national team.

Captain Marvelous Nakamba said the squad has welcomed the new approach introduced by Marinica and his team.

> “The boys are in good spirits. We’re open to the new methods and tactics, and we’re asking our supporters to be patient. We are using this international break to refine our preparations for AFCON,” he said.

Left-back Devine Lunga shared similar views, emphasising that the team has been putting in the work to understand and execute the coach’s style.

> “Since we got here, we’ve been working hard to grasp the coach’s philosophy so we can apply it properly. He has introduced new ideas, and we’re doing our best to implement them. We’ve had a series of meetings to catch up because time in camp is short, and we need to make every minute count.”

The Warriors are scheduled to hold a single evening training session before facing Qatar on Monday.