Musa Mguni

Zimbabwe Warriors strikers Zenzo Moyo and Musa Mguni have been ruled out of the 2006 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt next month after they failed to join the Warriors camp in Harare on Tuesday due to injuries. This has effectively ruled them out of Africa’s biggest soccer competition and limited options upfront for the Warriors technical department ahead of the international friendly match against Zambia on New Year’s Eve in Harare. Warriors manager Ernest Sibanda yesterday said: “Zenzo Moyo is still injured and is out while Musa Mguni will only start playing football in February, so that rules him out. “Away from that Mike Temwanjira is expected in tomorrow (today) to join camp before the break on Saturday.”

Moyo and Mguni were part of the 32 man provisional squad named by coach Charles Mhlauri for the preparations and this leaves him with locals Leonard Tsipa, Brian Badza and Sageby Sandaka and foreignbased stars Shingi Kawondera, Temwanjira and Benjani Mwaruwari.

Moyo has been in and out of the team since the era of Sunday Chidzambwa while Mguni was being considered for next year’s finals owing to his form for Omonia in Cyprus until he sustained the injury which will keep him out of football for three months.

United States based striker Joseph Ngwenya was likely to join the rest of the team on Monday. Ngwenya won the championship with Los Angeles Galaxy in the United States and was a surprise call to the provisional squad. Also out is David Kutyauripo, who plays in Cyprus as his team said they could not release him as they are fighting relegation. The South African contingent of captain Peter Ndlovu, Esrom Nyandoro, Joel Luphahla, Dumisani Mpofu, Edzai Kasinauyo, Tinashe Nengomasha and Edelbert Dinha are expected in the country this weekend for their annual break.

Jo Ngwenya

The Warriors will play Zambia on 31 December after which the 23man squad for the two week camp to France, beginning on 6 January, will be announced.

Zimbabwe will play Mwaruwari’s AJ Auxerre in France and former African champions Cameroon in Tunisia before they travel to Egypt. The Warriors are still hopeful of securing another friendly against Ivory Coast in France.

The proposed match against the Pharaohs has been cancelled.


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