Marshall Munetsi of Zimbabwe ©Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Saturday Dec 13, 2025. 13:00
Wolves midfielder Marshall Munetsi believes his omission from Zimbabwe’s squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations was not for footballing reasons.
The Warriors vice-captain is still working his way back to full fitness after sustaining a calf injury against Crystal Palace on November 22, which has limited him to just five minutes of playing time for the Old Gold in their last three matches.
However, Munetsi insists his injury is “nothing serious” and that he would have been able to feature for his country during the group stages at the tournament in Morocco.
The Zimbabwe Football Association didn’t want to take the gamble though, and the 29-year-old has been denied the opportunity to make his second AFCON appearance.
Munetsi has yet to feature for his country since Marian Marinica replaced Michael Nees at the helm and he believes the new head coach doesn’t want him around.
“My club didn’t tell me I couldn’t play in the group stage; they just said the first match would be risky. It’s nothing serious, and I’m not in any pain; it’s just the club trying to be cautious,” he told The Herald.
“I don’t think this is about football anymore… The national team doesn’t want me.”
Munetsi was an almost ever-present for Zimbabwe during their unsuccessful 2026 World Cup campaign, missing just one game – the 1-0 defeat to Benin on September 5.