Warriors coach Marian Marinica says his side will not underestimate Zambia when the two teams meet in the Four Nations Tournament final, warning that the Chipolopolo pose a serious threat despite Zimbabwe’s strong performances so far in the competition.
Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Marinica praised Zambia’s performance in their semi-final and admitted the Warriors will need to be fully prepared for a difficult encounter.
The Romanian coach revealed that he watched Zambia closely during their match against Malawi and was impressed by their intensity and attacking play, particularly in wide areas.
“They managed to put Malawi under severe pressure,” Marinica said. “They were very dangerous in wide areas and showed they are a very good team. So we expect a lot of challenge tomorrow.”
Zimbabwe booked their place in the final after a convincing victory over Botswana, but Marinica acknowledged that the match exposed areas his team must improve, especially after a slower second half performance.
He explained that complacency and tactical changes played a role after the Warriors built a comfortable lead, while Botswana’s fightback and the support of the home crowd also influenced the momentum of the game.
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“When you are 3–0 up sometimes you have the tendency to get a little bit complacent,” he said. “We also wanted to give some players a chance, and Botswana came back fighting in the second half.”
Despite those challenges, Marinica said his team had prepared as best as possible ahead of the final, even though he has had limited time with the squad since taking charge.
However, since Marinica's appointment, Zimbabwe have shown a clear attacking improvement, scoring freely in recent matches. Marinica credited the change to a deliberate shift towards fast, attacking football.
“My philosophy is to play fast and attacking football,” he explained. “If you don’t score, you don’t win matches.”
Warriors captain Marvelous Nakamba echoed his coach’s sentiments, saying the players remain focused on representing Zimbabwe with pride and delivering success for the nation.
“It’s always every player’s dream to represent his country,” Nakamba said. “We just continue giving our best for the nation and pushing each other to improve.”
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