Sports Reporter
REPORTS from Kigali suggest that the Rwandans are disappointed Stade de Reims midfielder Marshall Munetsi will be available for the 2026 World Cup qualifier against the Wasps at Huye Stadium tomorrow.
According to the New Times newspaper, they had been given the impression that Munetsi would miss this month’s matches after injuring his nose in the French Ligue 1.
They referred to Munetsi’s inclusion as a ‘surprise’.
“Zimbabwe head coach Brito Baltemar has surprisingly included Stade Reims midfielder Marshall Munetsi in his final 23-man squad for the 2026 World Cup double header against Rwanda and Nigeria at Huye Stadium on November 15 and 19 respectively.
“Munetsi had not featured for the French Ligue 1 side since he broke his nose in club’s 1-0 win over Lorient on October 28 when he was taken straight to hospital in the 66th minute.
“The incident saw him miss his club’s 1-0 win over Nantes November 5. The French club’s medical team at the time asked the player not to get involved in his country’s November World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Nigeria to spare more time for his broken nose to heal,” wrote the New Times.
The Warriors yesterday got a boost as key members Marvelous Nakamba, Admiral Muskwe joined camp from their UK base, bringing to 12 the players that were now under Baltemar Brito’s supervision yesterday morning.
Nakamba of Luton in the Premier League and Muskwe of Exeter in the English League One had featured for their clubs in domestic English football matches on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Rwanda’s head coach Torsten Frank Spittler admits he does not have much information about the Warriors ahead of tomorrow’s clash.
Spittler insists his side will have to be careful about the Warriors, who are fresh from the Fifa ban with a number of new faces in the squad hard to predict.
“Zimbabwe was banned by FIFA for a year or so and they have been inactive so current information on them ahead of the game is less,” Spittler told Times Sport in an interview
“We cannot rely on their past information because that will be very wrong. They are back from suspension and they are now regrouping, so, we actually do not know the nature of their team as well as their level.”
Meanwhile, Rafael York could miss the clash with Zimbabwe after his side Gefle IF told Rwanda FA that the midfielder is sidelined through injury.
