The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has announced the appointment of Marian Marinica as the new head coach of their senior men’s national team, the Warriors.

The Romanian takes over from German mentor Michael Nees, who was dismissed last month following a poor run of results.

Marinica, who most recently served as head coach of Liberia, has signed a one-year contract.

His primary assignment will be to lead the Warriors at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled for December in Morocco.

“We are delighted to welcome Coach Marinica to Zimbabwe. His wealth of experience, modern football philosophy, and proven results at the international level make him the ideal candidate to lead the Warriors into a new era,” stated ZIFA.

“His appointment reflects ZIFA’s commitment to building a competitive and sustainable football structure that delivers results both on and off the pitch.”

He will be on the bench when Zimbabwe face Algeria and Qatar in international friendlies this month.

As per ZIFA, the Romanian coach holds a UEFA Pro Licence and boasts over 25 years of international coaching and technical experience across four continents — Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America.

He also holds a postgraduate diploma in sports coaching from South Bank University (England) and a diploma in management.

Throughout his career, Marinica has worked with several prestigious clubs and national teams, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Monaco, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as the Paraguay, Mauritius, Malawi, and Liberia national teams.

Under his leadership, Malawi reached the Round of 16 at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations—their best-ever finish—while Liberia became the highest climber in the FIFA Rankings in June 2024.