The Zimbabwe Football Association has issued a staunch defence of their newly appointed national team coach, Marian “Mario” Marinica, following a torrent of online abuse directed at the Romanian tactician. The social media fury was ignited by the Warriors’ 3-1 defeat in an international friendly against Algeria in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which marked Marinica’s first match at the helm.
The loss extends the team’s winless streak, a run that dates back to October of last year. Despite the disappointing result on the scoreboard, the match itself was a tale of two halves, with the Warriors putting in a significantly improved performance after the break. It was from this improved display that they snatched a consolation goal, courtesy of a Tawanda Chirewa penalty.
A Storm of Unfounded Allegations
Far from the pitch in Saudi Arabia, a different battle was brewing online. Baseless claims began to circulate across various social media platforms, alleging that Coach Marinica had catastrophically lost the dressing room after just one match in charge. The sensationalist reports even suggested that a player revolt was underway and absurdly speculated that the coach was on the verge of resigning.
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In a direct response to these “unsubstantiated social media attacks,” ZIFA moved swiftly to set the record straight. The association released a detailed statement to clarify the situation and quash the damaging rumours. A ZIFA spokesperson firmly stated,
“We are definitely fully behind coach Marinica. He has already shown that he is a capable man to steer us to our Dreamland. He has the experience and the expertise to take us to the next round of the AFCON.”
ZIFA Backs Coach Mario Amid Social Media Storm
One of the key points of contention involved midfielder Tawanda Chirewa’s early departure from the team camp. Online gossip falsely painted his exit as part of the supposed player unrest. However, ZIFA’s official communication provided a far more mundane and professional explanation.
The association clarified that Chirewa’s release was a pre-arranged agreement with his English club, Wolverhampton Wanderers. The statement read,
“The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) wishes to inform the nation that midfielder Tawanda Chirewa has been granted permission to leave the national team camp, as had been agreed prior to the player joining the camp. This decision was reached with the full blessing and consent of ZIFA, after Wolverhampton Wanderers formally requested an opportunity for the player to be assessed by their new technical team.”
The statement went on to emphasise that the move was a sign of a positive relationship with the club, noting it “represents a professional and mutually respectful alignment between the national association and the player’s parent club, an alignment that prioritises the athlete’s long-term development.”
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Focusing on the Future
With the friendly against Qatar in Doha looming, the team and its new leader are attempting to block out the external noise. Defender Gerald Takwara, who captained the side in the absence of regular starters, acknowledged the quality of the Algerian opposition but found positives in the team’s response. He remarked,
“Algeria, they were showing us some flames in the first half. They were playing very good football. But came second half, we were a little bit compact. We were working together. The second half was better for us.”
For his part, Coach Marinica pointed to the absence of several key players but also challenged his squad’s initial work rate. He observed,
“I don’t think my players worked hard enough the way I wanted in the first half.”
Despite the turbulent start, ZIFA remains publicly unwavering in its support, betting on Marinica’s proven pedigree, which includes a historic run to the AFCON round of 16 with Malawi, to ultimately guide the Warriors to success.
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The post ZIFA Backs Coach Mario Amid Social Media Storm appeared first on iHarare News.
