THE Warriors are set to face a hugely depleted Nigerian side which will be without several top stars including Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen for the crucial 2026 World Cup Group C qualifying clash in Rwanda later this month.
Zimbabwe will play back-to-back World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda on November 15 at the 10 000-seater Huye Stadium before hosting the Super Eagles at the same venue four days later.
The Warriors have been forced to play their home matches in Rwanda because Zimbabwe does not have Caf-certified stadiums to host international matches.
The Baltemar Brito-coached team will be aiming for a positive start to their World Cup campaign, and their chances might have been boosted by the news that Nigeria — the toughest opponent and favourites in the group — will be missing a number of key players.
Reports from Lagos yesterday confirmed that Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze of AC Milan are out of the matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe due to hamstring injuries they picked during an international friendly match against Saudi Arabia on October 13.
Osimheni limped off the match which ended 2-2, and SkySports Italia yesterday said his type of injury typically requires a recovery period of about six weeks. AC Milan have also not specified the length of time Chukueze will be absent, but the Italian media has suggested that he could be out for six weeks as well.
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Zaidu Sanusi of FC Porto has also been ruled out as the leftback has not recovered from a muscle injury he suffered in September in a Uefa Champions League game.
A December comeback is expected for the defender who is racing against time to make Nigeria's final squad for the January Africa Cup of Nations.
Another regular in the Super Eagles squad Sam Ajayi of WestBrom will also not feature for his nation this month after he suffered a relapse of an ankle injury. The defender is expected to return to action next month.
Super Eagles coach José Peseiro is also sweating over the availability of midfield enforcer Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City. The star has missed his Championship side's last two matches although his absence has been described by his club as a “little bit more than tiredness.”
There are no such injury worries in the Warriors camp, although Brito made a huge gamble when he picked a 28-man squad predominantly made up of foreign-based players, some of whom have previously turned down the offer to play for Zimbabwe.
Only eight players on the list were drawn from the domestic football league.
There are fears that some players, especially those who were born and raised in England, might not avail themselves for the Rwanda and Nigeria matches.
Players such as Andy Rinemhota of Cardiff City in England, Tawanda Maswanhise of Leicester City and Tivonge Rushesha have previously snubbed the Warriors.
There are also a number of new faces in the squad, including Liverpool’s highly-rated youngster Isaac Mabaya, Brentford goalkeeper Marley Tavaziva and Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Leon Chiwome.
The three, who play for the English Premier League giants’ developmental squads, were all born in England, with Mabaya and Chiwome having already represented their country of birth at youth levels.
Some of the England-born players have previously failed to turn up for the Warriors because of the difficulties in obtaining a Zimbabwean passport.
And with just two weeks before the Rwanda match, it’s unlikely that Zifa will be able to get the players’ documents sorted on time.
England-born Tendayi Darikwa, who missed the Warriors’ last few matches, is set to bounce back in the strong-looking squad, and so is South Africa-based goalkeeper Washington Arubi.
The France-based pair of Marshal Munetsi and Tino Kadewere, Luton’s Marvelous Nakamba, Jordan Zemura of Udinese in Spain and United States-based Teenage Hadebe are the other senior players who are expected to form the backbone of the team seeking to make their first-ever qualification to the World Cup to be hosted by the Americas in 2026.
The big omissions from the squad include Ronald Pfumbidzai, Devine Lunga and inform striker Knox Mutizwa fresh from scoring a brace against Kaizer Chiefs at the weekend.
Brito, who has been criticised for ignoring players that are doing well in the local and South Africa league in favour of some England-based players who are either bench warmers or not performing for their clubs, has jumped to the defence of his selection.
“We do not look into the status of the players, all the decisions were made in the interests of Zimbabwean football," he said before explaining the exclusion of Pfumbidzai, Mutizwa and Lunga.
"It was a technical decision after we analysed the players that we have in the same positions, the competitiveness and the minutes they have had.”
Zimbabwe are in Group C of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, whose other group members are South Africa, Lesotho and Benin.
The team that will top the group will automatically qualify for the global football jamboree to be jointly hosted by Canada, United States of America and Mexico.
Warriors provisional squad
Goalkeepers: Benard Donovan (Chicken Inn), Washington Arubi (SuperSport United, SA), Martin Mapisa (Fc Malaga City, SP), Marley Tavaziva (Brentford, ENG).
Defenders: Tendayi Darikwa (Apolon Limassol, CYP), Andrew Mbeba, Peter Muduhwa (Highlanders), Frank Makarati (Dynamos), Teenage Hadebe (Houston Dynamo, USA), Munashe Garananga (Sheriff Tiraspol, MOL), Brendon Galloway (Plymouth Argyle, ENG), Jordan Zemura (Udinese, SP), Tivonge Rushesha (Reading, ENG).
Midfielders: Brian Banda (FC Platinum), Marshal Munetsi (Stade de Reims, FRA), Andy Rinemhota (Cardiff City, WAL), Marvelous Nakamba (Luton, ENG), Gerald Takwara (Ohod, SAUDI), Isaac Mabaya (Liverpool, ENG), Tanaka Shandirwa (Dynamos).
Strikers: Obriel Chirinda (Bulawayo Chiefs), Prince Dube (Azam, TAN), Tino Kadewere (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Admiral Muskwe (Exeter City, ENG), Walter Musona (Fc Platinum), Terrence Dzvukamanja (SuperSport United, SA), Leon Chiwome (Wolverhampton Wanderers, ENG), Tawanda Maswanhise (Leicester, ENG).