Former Mount Pleasant Member of Parliament Fadzayi Mahere has called on Zimbabweans to rally behind the national football team, the Warriors, as they prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco which will run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.

The Warriors will open their campaign against African giants Egypt on Monday, a side led by star forward Mohamed Salah, in the first match of the 35th edition of the biennial tournament.

Posting on her X account (formerly Twitter), Mahere said:

Inside the Munetsi Exclusion That Rocked Zimbabwean Football

Marshall Munetsi will not wear the Warriors jersey at AFCON 2025.

Not because he’s injured. Not because he’s out of form. But because he spoke up.

How does a midfield general, fit, in form, and flying high in Europe, get axed from Zimbabwe’s AFCON 2025 squad without a word of reason?

ZIFA had no answers. Just a shrug. A vague nod to “fitness concerns.” But the truth, as uncovered by Bhorafrika, is far more sinister.

This wasn’t a footballing decision. It was a purge.

When the final Warriors squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations was announced, the omission of Marshall Munetsi sent shockwaves through Zimbabwean football. Here was a player in his prime, a midfield general thriving in Europe, respected across the continent, left out without explanation.

But behind the scenes, a far more troubling story was unfolding. One that reveals a toxic cocktail of internal betrayal, administrative vendettas, and a governing body more interested in silencing dissent than building a winning team.

This is not just about a player. It’s about power. And what happens when those in charge feel threatened by those who lead from within.

According to Bhorafrika, it began, as many modern revolutions do, with a message.

In the days leading up to a crucial match against South Africa, the Warriors camp was in disarray. Promised allowances hadn’t been paid. Morale was crumbling. Players were frustrated. Angry. Tired of broken promises.

In a private team WhatsApp group, Munetsi, one of the most senior and respected voices, urged his teammates to consider a boycott. Not out of malice, but out of principle.

To many, it was leadership. To ZIFA, it was mutiny.

What happened next would alter the course of Munetsi’s international career.

Someone, a teammate, a Judas, took a screenshot of Munetsi’s message and sent it to ZIFA official Kudzai Chitima. From there, it spread like wildfire through the corridors of power.

The response was swift and brutal.

Munetsi was summoned. Threatened. Told he would never play for the national team again unless he apologized. Some officials even pushed to have him expelled from camp before the Bafana Bafana game, a move only narrowly avoided.

The damage, however, was done. Trust was broken. The relationship between Munetsi and the administration lay in ruins.

When the AFCON squad was finalized, ZIFA claimed Munetsi was injured. But his club, Wolves, quickly debunked that narrative. In official communication to ZIFA, they confirmed he was 95% fit and expected to be ready for the tournament.

All ZIFA had to do was assess him. They didn’t.

Other players with more serious injuries were called up, examined, and monitored. Munetsi? Ignored.

The message was clear: this wasn’t about fitness. It was about punishment.

If the administration had turned its back on Munetsi, so too had the coach.

Head coach Marian “Mario” Marinica reportedly sent Munetsi a scathing message, expressing disappointment over missed camps, lack of communication, and even his failure to congratulate the team after a win in Qatar.

Then came the final blow: a demand for a written letter pledging future commitment to the national team.

It was an unprecedented move. One that reeked of mistrust and humiliation. One that no other player was asked to endure.

Taken together, the leaked messages, the threats, the injury smokescreen, the coach’s coldness, the picture becomes painfully clear.

Munetsi wasn’t dropped. He was targeted.

ZIFA turned a player’s call for accountability into a disciplinary offense. They weaponized a private conversation. They spun a false injury narrative. And they painted a loyal servant of the game as a disruptive force.

It’s a pattern Zimbabwean fans have seen before. And it’s one that continues to haunt the national team.

Munetsi’s exclusion is not an isolated incident. It’s a symptom of a deeper rot within Zimbabwean football.

An environment where speaking up is punished. Where leadership is feared. Where politics trumps performance.

If a player of Munetsi’s caliber can be cast aside for demanding professionalism, what hope is there for the rest?

What message does this send to young players dreaming of donning the national jersey?

And what future does Zimbabwean football have when its best are treated as threats?

ZIFA has yet to offer a credible explanation.

But their silence speaks volumes.

Until accountability replaces ego, and leadership is embraced rather than feared, the Warriors will remain a team at war with itself.

And the nation will continue to pay the price.

‎‎By Hector Chifamba ‎‎

Perisinevi Tabviroona, a 24-year-old netball sensation, is making waves in the sport. ‎‎As a versatile player, she dominates in three positions: Goal Keeper (GK), Goal Defence (GD), and Wing Defence (WD).

‎‎Her impressive skills propelled Mutare-based Santa Queens Netball Club to fourth place in the 2025 Rainbow Amateur Netball League (RANL) season, a significant improvement from their eighth-place finish last year.‎‎

Perisinevi’s journey is an inspiration to many. In a wide-ranging interview with Sportbrief, the former Beta Bricks and Filchrist and Ngezi Platinum Queens player credited netball for changing her life, enabling her to pay university tuition fees, support her siblings, and secure a job at Freightzone Logistics.‎‎

“I take Netball seriously. This is my life, this is the sport that is supporting my life,” Tabviroona said.‎‎

Her favorite position is GD, where she utilizes her skills to shut down opponents. ‎‎Perisinevi’s hard work and dedication earned her the Santa Queens Netball Club Player of the Season award, at a glamorous end-of-year awards ceremony held at the Zimbabwe College of Forestry in Mutare a few days ago.‎‎ She couldn’t hide her joy after bagging the award.

“I’m very happy to have been voted as the best player of the season by our club and fans of Santa Queens Netball Club,” she said.

‎‎”Our target as Santa Queens this season was to finish in the top 5 because last year we finished eighth. Finishing fourth this season was a great achievement for us because it was our goal and target and for that we are very happy,” Tabviroona added.

‎‎Not long ago, her talents in the court did not go unnoticed as she made her first appearance with the Gems, the Zimbabwe Netball national team.

‎‎She was first called for trials in the Zambezi Eagles for the squad that was going to participate in South Africa, a fete she describes as a dream come true.

‎‎”I went there and played my best and I was selected to be part of the Zambezi Eagles. I learnt a lot, I can’t lie, and when I returned I even shared that experience with my teammates here,” said Tabviroona.‎‎

Outside the court, Perisinevi is passionate about empowering the girl child. ‎‎She made a passionate plea to those youths engaging in drug and substance abuse, vices that have left the Zimbabwean society reeling over the past few years.‎‎

“To the girl child and youth who might be engaging in drug and substance abuse, my message is let’s stop engaging in this scourge, let us stay focused,” she said.

‎‎”I urge the youth to engage in sport because activities like these will obviously take away the urge to take drugs, because they will not be idle. Drug and substance abuse can kill a generation, let us stay focused and refrain from these vices. I also urge the girl child to find activities that empower us as women, because drugs and substance abuse can damage your health and your future.”‎‎

Perisinevi is currently in camp with the Gems in Malawi, gearing up for the Africa Netball Cup, which kicks off today in Lilongwe. ‎‎The tournament will run until December 14.

‎‎The Africa Netball Cup serves as a crucial qualifier for the Netball World Cup, with the top two teams securing automatic spots for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia. ‎‎The Gems are determined to be one of the two teams representing Africa on the global stage!