The Zimbabwe men’s national football team was defeated 3-1 by the Algeria A’ national team in an international friendly match on Wednesday, January 10, at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium. The match marked the first game in charge for Zimbabwe’s newly appointed head coach, Marian Marinica, and was part of Algeria’s preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Algeria established its lead in the first half with two goals from striker Baghdad Bounedjah. Forward Youcef Belaïli scored Algeria’s third goal. Zimbabwe’s lone goal came in the second half from a direct free-kick scored by forward Walter Musona.
The match was the first for Zimbabwe under the leadership of Marinica, who was appointed head coach by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Normalisation Committee in December 2023. The squad for the friendly, captained by defender Gerald Takwara, featured a mix of veteran players and others receiving their first call-up to the national team.
According to statements from the ZIFA Normalisation Committee, the fixture was arranged to provide the new technical team an opportunity to assess players in a competitive environment. The match was Zimbabwe’s first since the country’s 18-month suspension from international football by FIFA was lifted in July 2023.
For the Algerian team, composed primarily of domestic-based players, the game served as a final preparatory fixture before the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, which commenced in Ivory Coast on January 13.
The starting lineup for Zimbabwe included goalkeeper Donovan Bernard, defenders Godknows Murwira, Peter Muduhwa, Gerald Takwara, and Farai Banda, midfielders Brian Banda, Tanaka Shandirwa, and Richard Hachiro, and forwards Walter Musona, Tinotenda Kadewere, and Obriel Chirinda. Several substitutions were made throughout the second half.
