Luton Town midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, Stade de Reims’ star midfielder Marshal Munetsi arrive in Kigali on Tuesday where they will immediately join Zimbabwe’s camp just a day before the country’s 2026 World Cup Qualifiers Group C clash against Rwanda’s Amavubi at Huye Stadium.
Both Nakamba and Munetsi have been consistent at their respective clubs in the French Ligue 1 and the Premier League, and their availability is a big boost for the Warriors and head coach Brito Baltemar.
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Nakamba was named as Luton Town’s man of the match in club’s 2-1 win at Everton on September 30 after he put in a splendid performance in the entire game.
Again, he put in sterling performances in following league matches against Liverpool and Manchester United.
Meanwhile, although Munetsi has been consistent in the French top league, he spent two weeks on the sidelines after suffering a broken nose. Following his recovery, he started for his French side Stade de Reims in their 3-0 loss against PSG on Saturday.
The Zimbabwean FA (ZIFA) communications department on Sunday said the bulk of Zimbabwe’s foreign-based players flew straight to Rwanda from their bases and a number of them have already arrived in the camp on Monday.
"Other players will start coming in tomorrow including Nakamba and Munetsi,” said the ZIFA communications department on Sunday.
A contingent of nine Zimbabwe local players is already in camp in Kigali preparing for the Warriors/Amavubi clash on Wednesday, November 15, at Huye Stadium.
They include Tanaka Shandirwa, Frank Makarati, Donovan Bernard, Walter Musona, Obriel Chirinda, Peter Muduhwa, Andrew Mbeba, and Brian Banda. They were joined in Kigali by Saudi-based Gerald Takwara.
The players held their first field training workout session at Pele Stadium in Kigali on Sunday.
The majority of the players are largely unknown as they are making their debuts in the Warriors line up.
Rwanda head coach Torsten Frank Spittler has admitted that he doesn't have much information about the Warriors as Zimbabwe was banned by FIFA from international football due to political interference in the country's football associations.
FIFA lifted their 18-month suspension of Zimbabwe in July allowing the country to take part in the African qualification tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Spittler, who was hired in October to take charge of Rwanda, said his side will have to be careful about Zimbabwe which is fresh from the ban with a number of new faces in the squad which are 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."
ALSO READ: Spittler knows little about Zimbabwe after Fifa suspension
The coach is now focused on getting to know every player in his squad as he looks to prepare a team ready to upset every opponent in the World Cup qualifiers. The country was pooled in Group B alongside South Africa, Nigeria, Benin, Zimbabwe and Lesotho.