Marinica Calls for Patience: “Even God Didn’t Build the World in One Day”

Zimbabwe’s football revival will require time and a complete overhaul of the development system, coach Mario Marian Marinica has insisted, following the Warriors’ disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

The Romanian tactician, who guided the team through a difficult Group B campaign that yielded just one point, urged stakeholders to temper their expectations and embrace a long-term vision for Zimbabwean football.

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“We need people to understand that even God didn’t build the world in one day, and sometimes you need to rest—the same thing will happen here,” Marinica said after Zimbabwe’s exit from the tournament. “We cannot build something in 32 days.”

Zimbabwe finished bottom of their group after losing twice and drawing once, extending their drought of knockout stage appearances to two decades. The Warriors last progressed beyond the group stages in 2004, and their six subsequent tournament appearances have all ended in the opening round.

The campaign began with heartbreak against Egypt, where Prince Dube’s early opener was cancelled out by Omar Marmoush’s equalizer before Mohamed Salah snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory deep in stoppage time.

Zimbabwe showed resilience in their second match, fighting back through Knowledge Musona to secure a 1-1 draw with Angola after Gelson Dala had given the Palancas Negras the lead.

Their final group match against Cosafa rivals South Africa proved to be a pulsating affair. Despite twice drawing level through Tawanda Maswanhise and an Aubrey Modiba own goal, the Warriors fell 3-2 to Bafana Bafana, with Oswin Appollis netting the winner after Tshegofatso Mabasa and Lyle Foster had also found the net for the South Africans.

Marinica emphasized that Zimbabwe’s football challenges extend far beyond the national team setup and require a fundamental restructuring of player development.

“We need a pathway and supporters to believe in their players, support them, not knock them down every time they make a mistake,” the coach stressed. “We need to work together with the coaches and scouts to get the players and develop them at the club level rather than developing them at national teams. It has to be a holistic approach.”

The former Malawi coach’s call for patience highlights the systemic issues facing Zimbabwean football, as the nation continues its search for a sustainable path back to continental competitiveness.

With one point, four goals scored, and six conceded, Zimbabwe’s tournament statistics reflected a team still searching for consistency and identity on the biggest stage. But Marinica believes the foundation for future success must be laid now, even if immediate results remain elusive.