Marinica praises Warriors’ effort despite AFCON opening loss to Egypt

By Zim Sport Live Writer

Zimbabwe Warriors head coach Marian ‘Mario’ Marinica praised his players’ discipline and commitment despite a narrow 2–1 defeat to Egypt in their Africa Cup of Nations opener on Monday night.

Marinica said Zimbabwe executed their game plan well and made a strong start to the match but were ultimately undone by the individual quality within the Egyptian side.

“We played a good match. We started well and the players stuck to the game plan we had prepared,” Marinica said.

“But the quality of the Egyptian players made the difference. It is disappointing to lose a match like that.”

Despite the setback, the Zimbabwean coach expressed pride in his squad’s performance and remains confident about their chances of progressing from the group.

“We are proud of our players. We must stay the course, and we will aim to get at least four points from the next two matches to qualify,” he added.

Zimbabwe will now shift focus to their remaining group fixtures as they look to bounce back and keep their AFCON qualification hopes alive.