MONROVIA — During his tenure as Malawi’s Head Coach, British-Romanian tactician Mario Marinica was known for a “fast and furious” football philosophy, as described by fans and pundits.
In Liberia, fans have dubbed it ‘helicopter football,’ but the current head coach of the Liberia National Team says he isn’t concerned about the style of play—he’s focused solely on winning games.
Lone Star Coach Mario Marinica emphasized that his priority is winning, regardless of how his team performs on the field.
“We are as ready as we can be. I’m not concerned about the style of play—nothing like that. I’m only focused on winning matches,” Marinica said ahead of his team’s departure to Lomé, Togo, for their first match in the 2025 AFCON Qualifiers.
The former Malawi National Team coach acknowledged that Liberians expect a strong team capable of qualifying for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
“Liberians want a team that is strong and ready to qualify for the AFCON,” he stated.
When asked about his decision to leave out certain foreign-based players, including Botswana-based Sheikh Sesay, who scored the only goal in Liberia’s 1-0 win over São Tomé in June, Marinica clarified that his selection is based on current performance and consistency.
“I am here to work with all international players, but selection will depend on their current form. I’m looking for players who can consistently clock 80 to 90 minutes for their club, not those who can’t,” he explained.
Since his appointment, Marinica has gone four games unbeaten—the longest unbeaten run for Liberia in over a decade. He has won two of these four matches, with his most notable result being a 1-1 draw away to Namibia in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
Marinica has selected seven foreign-based players for the upcoming qualifiers, including a debut call-up for striker Emmanuel Ernest, along with 17 local players.
Liberia will face Togo away this Friday, September 6, 2024, before hosting Algeria on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, in the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers.
In the first group match on Thursday, Algeria defeated Equatorial Guinea 2-0 at home.
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