Warriors' Munetsi raises alarm

Warriors vice-captain Marshall Munetsi has sounded the alarm over a surge in cases of fake football agents preying on young African players, warning that the scams are robbing talented athletes of their dreams and savings.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, who also serves on the FIFPro Global Player Council, said the problem has reached crisis levels, with fraudsters taking advantage of players' desperation to secure contracts in Europe.

"It's more than a crisis in Africa. A person might create a social media account, come to Europe, watch a game, take a picture with a player, then put that picture on their profile and write that they're a football agent," Munetsi said. "A lot of people then end up paying money to that agent with promises of going to Europe."

Munetsi revealed that he has personally met victims of such scams during his time in France, including players from top African clubs who were stranded after being duped.

"I had three guys who came to France when I was at Reims asking for accommodation because an agent had promised them trials in Europe. They ended up stuck at the airport when nobody came to meet them," he said. "I am talking about guys who play for top teams in Africa that were also scammed. It's a big problem that needs real attention."

Although there are no official figures on how many players have been defrauded, FIFPro-the global union representing professional footballers-has stepped up its awareness campaigns across Africa to help players verify agents and avoid exploitation.

Munetsi urged aspiring footballers to verify credentials before engaging with agents and to seek guidance from players' unions and official football bodies to ensure they do not fall victim to the growing wave of scams.