Warriors camp in turmoil as Afcon countdown begins

Barely three weeks before the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Morocco, the Zimbabwe Warriors' preparations have been thrown into disarray amid confusion, controversy, and a wave of unexpected player exclusions under head coach Marian "Super Mario" Marinica.

While Group B rivals South Africa and Egypt have already named their final squads - and Angola last week submitted a 55-man preliminary list - Zimbabwe's camp has been unsettled by the manner in which Marinica is trimming his own bloated 55-man provisional squad.

The first phase of preparations began on Sunday with locally based players, with foreign-based duo Macauley Bonne and Cobert Chimedza expected to join the camp yesterday. However, the squad's build-up has been overshadowed by the abrupt release of several high-profile players.

Marinica's controversial culling has seen Soccer Star of the Year finalists Abubakar Moffat and Emmanuel Jalai, along with Walter Musona, Junior Makunike, Xolani Ndlovu and Andrew Mbeba, dismissed from camp. Although the official explanation for the removals has been injuries, the reasoning has raised eyebrows, with many insisting that the majority of the affected players are fully fit.

The decision to start Afcon preparations with a 55-member squad so close to the tournament had already drawn criticism. But the growing concern within the Warriors' setup surrounds the lack of transparency and apparent inconsistency in the process of sending players home.

Marinica had recently garnered significant goodwill after a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over Qatar last month and for broadening the selection pool to give new players a chance. Yet the current turmoil threatens to erode that momentum, sparking fresh questions about Zimbabwe's readiness and morale ahead of the continental showcase.

The second phase of camp, in which selected local players are expected to join the foreign-based contingent, is fast approaching, but the instability has cast doubt over the team's cohesion.

In an attempt to quell growing speculation, the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) yesterday released a detailed update outlining the medical grounds behind the player releases.

According to Zifa, Walter Musona suffered a hamstring injury against Algeria and has yet to provide the required ultrasound scan. He underwent an MRI on the first day of camp, with his return dependent on the pending results. Emmanuel Jalai sustained a thigh contusion and has been temporarily released for physiotherapy before reassessment on Thursday.

Tymone Machope and Junior Makunike both reportedly arrived carrying injuries and were released after the medical team concluded they would not recover in time for Afcon. Xolani Ndlovu picked up an injury on the first day of training and requested to return home to recover, while Andrew Mbeba's ongoing knee problem ruled him out after further assessment.

Zifa noted that most of the players asked to submit radiological scans had complied and emphasised that training GPS data had corroborated the medical findings. The association also confirmed that injuries have forced the technical team to expand the selection pool, with some players outside the initial 55-man list now being considered.

With the deadline for final squad submission just days away, the Warriors face mounting pressure as Marinica scrambles to assemble a settled, competitive squad capable of carrying the nation's hopes in Morocco.