BARELY three weeks before the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Morocco, the Zimbabwe Warriors’ camp is reportedly in turmoil, marred by confusion and controversy as head coach Marian “Super Mario” Marinica embarks on a sweeping purge of the bloated 55-man provisional squad
While Group B rivals South Africa and Egypt have already announced their final squads — and Angola last week submitted a similar 55-man preliminary list — the manner in which Marinica is trimming his squad has sparked alarm within the Warriors’ setup.
The first phase of preparations kicked off on Sunday with locally-based players.
Foreign-based duo of Macauley Bonne and Cobert Chimedza was expected to join camp yesterday. However, the headlines are dominated by the sudden release of several promising players.
Marinica’s controversial culling has seen key local stars shown the door, among them Soccer Star of the Year finalists Abubakar Moffat and Emmanuel Jalai, as well as Walter Musona, Junior Makunike, Xolani Ndlovu and Andrew Mbeba.
The official reason provided has been injuries, a claim that has been met with skepticism as most of the players are reportedly fit. The initial selection of a 55-member squad itself was seen as impractical with the tournament looming, but the concerning factor remains the opaque process of sending players home.
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To his credit, Marinica had won over the Warriors’ faithful following a morale-boosting 2-1 international friendly victory over Qatar last month and for widening the selection pool to offer new opportunities.
However, the current goings-on in camp threaten to overshadow that goodwill, raising serious questions about the team’s preparations and morale ahead of the continental showpiece.
The second phase of the camp, where the selected local stars are set to link up with the foreign-based contingent, is fast approaching, but the instability in the current set-up is a cause for concern.
Amid the mounting controversy, the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) released an update yesterday, saying players were axed from the provisional squad on medical grounds.
“Zifa would like to clarify the situation regarding players carrying injuries in camp,” the association said.
“Walter Musona — He injured his hamstring vs Algeria in Saudi Arabia and did not train ahead of the Qatar match due to pain. He was instructed to bring an ultrasound scan before camp but did not submit it. On Day 1 of the local camp, he was taken for an MRI scan. Official results are pending. Once cleared, he will rejoin the squad.
“Emmanuel Jalai — He picked up a contusion injury on his right thigh in the match against Triangle. He was released for physiotherapy and will return to camp on Thursday for further assessment by team doctors.
“Tymone Machope — He reported for camp already nursing an injury and was released after the medical team assessed him and realised he would not make it for Afcon.
“Junior Makunike — He also arrived carrying an injury and was released after the medical team assessed him and realised that he would not make it for Afcom.
“Xolani Ndlovu — He sustained an injury on the first day of training and requested to be released to recover.
Andrew Mbeba — He sustained an injury in a match against Green Fuel. The player has had right knee problem which he had not fully recovered from. The medical team recommended a physiotherapy protocol but assessments revealed he would not be available for Afcon.”
Zifa added that several players had been asked to submit radiological scans and most complied.
“The medical team continues to assess every player to ensure fitness for national duty. GPS data also confirmed all this during training,” it said.
It added that injuries had forced the technical team to broaden the selection pool, with some players outside the initial 55-man list
set to be added as preparations intensify.
With just days to go before the final squad deadline, the team's cohesion and morale will be severely tested as coach Marinica races against time to settle on the contingent that will carry the nation's hopes in Morocco.