Harare, (New Ziana) – The final list of players who will make it to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is expected to be announced on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe’s Warriors are pencilled to leave for Morocco on 16 December for the games that will be played from 21 December to 18 January next year.
The Warriors last appeared at the AFCON finals in 2021, and they failed to progress past the group stage.
This time around, they will have to dig deeper if they are to make it beyond the group stage, as they will face neighbours South Africa, seven-time champions Egypt, and regional powerhouse Angola.
Speaking on the sidelines of the team’s send-off ceremony on Monday, Warriors coach Marian Marinica expressed mixed feelings as they resumed training with South Africa-based, and local players.
“Our plans were destabilised by FIFA’s decision to allow foreign clubs to release players that are in their books by 15 December. This will see some players joining camp late, and this does not serve our plans well,” he said.
There are also worrying reports that key players, Marshall Munetsi, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premiership and Jordan Zemura, who turns out for Udinese in the Italian Serie A, picked up injuries at their clubs over the weekend.
Meanwhile, President Emmerson Mnangagwa contributed US$400 000 towards the Warriors’ welfare at the AFCON.
The Deputy Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Emily Jesaya, will be Zimbabwe’s head of delegation at the games.
New Ziana
