Tadious Manyepo and Eddie Chikamhi

Zimpapers Sports Hub

CARNIVAL scenes took over proceedings at the Robert Mugabe International Airport yesterday as the Warriors jetted off to Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals, which get underway on Sunday.

Right from Msasa where the team was housed for the past three weeks, traffic came to a standstill as the colourful convoy snaked around Samora Machel Avenue into Glenara and then Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo roads.

At the airport departure terminal, a brass band awaited along with singing and ululating fans ready to see off coach Marian “Mario” Marinica and his men in the most inspiring of ways for men going to war.

There, a red carpet was laid for them as they disembarked from the team bus.

The Warriors, elegantly dressed in dark suits resembling the national dress had fans jostling for a Kodak moment with them while an army of journalists also waited for interviews.

It was some “organised chaos,” the kind of razzmatazz that one would wish to take place every other time the team leaves for international assignments.

This one rivalled the 2004 scenes when skipper Peter Ndlovu and his troops left Harare for their maiden AFCON dance in Tunisia.

After Tunisia, Zimbabwe have been to four other continental show-pieces in Egypt (twice), Gabon and Cameroon but the send-offs have been literally lukewarm.

But there is a newly-found vibe sweeping across the country.

There is fresh leadership at ZIFA fronted by Nqobile Magwizi, which is so charismatic and reputable that even the first citizen, President Mnangagwa decided to part with US$400 000 towards the AFCON cause from his own pocket.

Warriors new coach Marinica is hoping he can scale the heights where those before him failed to achieve with this team — which is going beyond the first round.

He has done it previously with Malawi’s Flames.

There is a new captain in charge now — Marvelous Nakamba — who will be hoping to have the luck to achieve what Peter Ndlovu, Benjani Mwaruwari (2006), Willard Katsande (2017), and Knowledge Musona (2019 and 2021), could not do and lead the Warriors out of the group stage.

Marinica was the Malawi head coach in the 2021 AFCON (played in 2022), and he managed to lead the Flames to the Round of 16.

The Warriors have never been shepherded by a coach who has previously reached this stage going into the AFCON and the country is placing different expectations on Zimbabwe this time around.

All that was on full display at the RGM International Airport yesterday and the players know it will even be bigger if they put on a good show in Morocco where they are placed in Group B along with giants Egypt, South Africa and Angola.

With their flight scheduled for 7pm yesterday, the Warriors had to stretch and loosen to keep up the momentum at Rufaro earlier in the day.

The feeling and the spirit displayed by the players would be reproduced, in more than a double way, a couple of hours later by the stakeholders that froze everything else for 30 or so minutes at the airport.

That was more than befitting for the group that was picked from a 56-member provisional squad initially called into camp.

Of course, the players that left yesterday will meet up with some of the Europe-based who include Andy Rinomhota, Sean Fusire and Jonah Fabisch.

Marinica was blown away by the massive send-off and ceremony.

That was the first time he got to physically meet the fans whose divided opinion on some of his decisions, including that of leaving injured midfielder Marshal Munetsi, he had become accustomed to just on social media.

The fans showed him the love and showered him with tangible affection, as he took time to pose with them for selfies and even gave them an ear as they threw in their different pieces of advice.

In the end he could only call for unity which he realised was very possible with the way the well-choreographed mayhem unfolded before his eyes.

Marinica said; “Let me say thank you all for giving up your time to try and support us.

“I want to say a big thank you to the Government of Zimbabwe for supporting us and especially to the Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Anselem Sanyatwe, who visited us twice, encouraging us and giving us words of wisdom.

“Special mention also goes to ZIFA and all its stakeholders for making our two camps available and to our sponsors Ecobank for additional support.

“The Rufaro Stadium management and staff have been amazing, they enabled us to train in suitable conditions, and to all the fans and supporters that are encouraging us.

“The local preparations have been good. I would like to promise that we will punch as hard as we can at the AFCON finals.

“We would have wanted to train with all the players including those in the European leagues but it is what it is. We couldn’t do that and we will have to do it in a few days before we actually get to play our first game.

“It’s unfortunate some of the key players are injured, and we couldn’t include them in the team. I am calling for unity between the players and all the stakeholders including the fans, in the same manner we did when we played Qatar in that international friendly the last time out when Zimbabwe looked like they were the home team with supporters singing throughout the match.”

The Warriors are expected to land in Marrakech today and remain there until weekend when they then travel to Agadir ahead of their opening fixture against Egypt on Monday.

Ironically, it will be the date on which Zimbabwe commemorates National Unity Day.

The Warriors will then travel back to Marrakech for the remainder of their group business against South Africa on Boxing Day and Angola three days later.

Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association president Joseph Matawu pleaded with Marinica’s men to punch above their weight in a difficult Group B for which their opening opponents Egypt are seven-time champions.

“We are here to show our support for the team, to boost their confidence as they sojourn to Morocco.

“We want them to progress to the knock-out stages and see what happens thereafter,” said Matawu.

Staunch CAPS United supporter Tatenda Clemence Mushonga, also known as Zisupa, said the Warriors should play with the 16 million Zimbabweans in mind.

“They are going to represent us; they are going to represent the pride of the nation. So, obviously they deserve such a huge send-off. We want them to qualify to the knock-out stages for the first time ever.

“They should remember that by just wearing the national colours, it means a lot more. The whole nation has entrusted them with this sacred duty.

“So, they have to make sure they play for the nation and also for themselves because AFCON is a stage to market themselves,” said Mushonga.

Another Warriors supporter Tendai “T-Buns” Zhakata said Zimbabwe had the quality to stand toe-to-toe with their group opponents, despite their low ranking.

“I believe we have the clout. Thanks to everyone who has rendered support to the preparations. This has helped raise the morale in the camp. We have to aim even higher,” said Zhakata.

Warriors cheerleader Chris Romario Musekiwa concurred.

“We are giving our total support to the boys, and we are confident they will defy the odds and make it to the knock-out stages for the very first time.

“Our coach Marian Marinica has got enough quality at his disposal to hurt our opponents in the group stages. We are urging our gallant Warriors to grab this opportunity and print their names in the books of history,” said Musekiwa.

The Warriors have received generous support from the Government and President Mnangagwa, who led the way with his US$400 000 injection.

They also had corporate partners like 4May and Ecobank Zimbabwe Limited, who sourced the kits and other training and travelling equipment.

The bank’s senior executive, Michael Dengwane, said they are hoping for a positive outing.

“As Ecobank Zimbabwe Limited, we are part of the Pan-African group that is found in 36 countries.

“Where we do business, as a corporate citizen, we need to identify with those communities and that’s the reason we said let’s align with the ZIFA and sponsor football because football is a national game that unites the nation,” said Dengwane.