Marshall Munetsi, the Warriors midfielder, has expressed his profound disappointment at being excluded from the Zimbabwe squad for the upcoming AFCON finals in Morocco. The exclusion comes despite his insistence that he is fit to play and his willingness to be assessed by the national team’s medical staff. Munetsi feels particularly aggrieved, revealing that he played in the AFCON qualifiers shortly after his wife, Anotida, suffered a miscarriage, a sacrifice that now feels meaningless.
The 29-year-old, who plays for Wolves, had been in communication with Warriors coach Mariana “Super Mario” Marinica, attempting to persuade him to include him in the squad. Munetsi maintains that his injury is minor and that he is capable of playing through any discomfort.
“I played the first two games of the qualifiers versus Kenya and Cameroon whilst my wife was in hospital after having a miscarriage, and she trusted me enough to stay there and make my country proud,” Munetsi revealed in his communication with the Warriors coach. “We did that and qualified for AFCON, and taking that away from me and her is something that I can’t even put into words.”
Munetsi emphasised his commitment to the national team, highlighting the sacrifices he and his wife had made during the qualifying campaign. He believes that this AFCON would have been his opportunity to shine, given his current peak athletic condition. He recalls being inspired as a young boy when the Warriors first qualified for the AFCON and has always harboured a strong desire to perform well at the tournament.
The sticking point appears to be communication from Wolves, stating that Munetsi is unfit to play in the group stage matches. Super Mario conveyed this information to Munetsi in a text message, explaining that his hands were tied.
“We had correspondence from your club. Unfortunately, you were declared unfit to be playing in the group stage matches,” Marinica wrote. “Therefore, I have not included (you) in the 28th players squad. However, if your recovering is going well, I will be looking to include you after the group stages. Sorry to give you the bad news, especially that I truly understand what AFCON means to you. I wish you swift and full recovery.”
However, Munetsi disputes the severity of his injury, describing it as “a small calf problem.” He claims that he is already participating in training sessions with his club and heals faster than expected. He offered to travel to Zimbabwe to be assessed by ZIFA’s doctors, as permitted by FIFA regulations, or to bring one of his club’s specialists to monitor him.
“(With) regards to my injury, it’s nothing big and I don’t have pain at all, it’s just the club trying to be cautious,” Munetsi explained. “The association has a doctor that can still assess me, and that’s allowed by FIFA in such cases. I think the communication is fair from the club outlining their thoughts in medical terms and also saying that they cannot guarantee that I will be fit in medical terms but they are willing to support me clinically as safe as possible. The Association is also allowed to assess me if there is any doubt about the injury or fitness.”
Munetsi expressed concern that if he were to feature for Wolves during the AFCON group stage, after being deemed unfit for the national team, it would create the impression that he had abandoned his country.
“I can’t tarnish my reputation with the fans and people back home,” he stated. “Even today, I can come to the national team, but the national team doesn’t want me. Remember Spain called Lamine Yamal even after Barca said he was injured. We never always play when we are 100 percent fit in football, I’m not injured, and I can always play through the pain.”
His Wolves boss, Rob Edwards, had previously told the media that Munetsi would be out for at least four weeks, following the team’s 1-4 defeat to Manchester United. This timeline would rule him out of the AFCON group stages.
Munetsi also revealed that he had contacted his agent and met with club officials to express his dissatisfaction with their communication regarding his injury. He believes that the situation is no longer solely about football.
“My club didn’t say I can’t play in the group stages, they just said the first game would be a risk, and I have done everything you asked in reference to the request you made about a new email,” Munetsi told Super Mario. “I just don’t think this is about football anymore because if I was really needed and important to the team then your message would be different. It’s time for me to move on from this chapter.”
Sources within Wolves have suggested that the club is reluctant to risk Munetsi’s injury at the AFCON finals, as they are hoping to sell him during the January transfer window. The club reportedly fears relegation and sees cashing in on players like Munetsi as a way to mitigate financial losses.
“There is a feeling in the club’s boardroom that relegation can’t be avoided right now, and it’s better to cash in on some players in January, and those players should not be risked right now,” a source told H-Metro.
Munetsi’s exclusion from the AFCON squad is a bitter blow for the player, who feels that he has been unfairly treated and that his sacrifices for the national team have been disregarded. The situation highlights the complex relationship between club and country and the difficult decisions that players sometimes face. The player concluded by saying: “We did that and qualified for AFCON and taking that away from me and her is something that I can’t even put into words.”
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