Zimbabwe Warriors coaches have named a provisional 34-member squad for both the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals and the Cosafa Cup that includes China-based striker Nyasha Mushekwi.
Mushekwi last played for the Warriors in 2017 and coincidentally in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon. He has been banging goals for his Chinese Premiership club, Dalian Yifan, which has forced a rethink on the part of the national team coaches.
Mushekwi, however, will not play in the Cosafa Cup due to club commitments but would link up with the rest of the team in Egypt.
The coaches who were represented at the unveiling of the team by assistant coach Lloyd Mutasa and team manager, Wellington Mpandare, have retained most of the players who took part in the Nations Cup qualifiers including captain Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiart, George Chigova, Ronald Pfumbidzai, Evans Rusike, Marvelous Nakamba, Tendai Darikwa, and Alec Mudimu.
Zimbabwe are in Group A along with hosts Egypt, Congo DR and Congo Brazzaville. They want, for the first time since 1980, to go beyond the group stages of Africa’s biggest football competition.
The team will first play in the Cosafa Cup before the final squad is selected for the Africa Cup of Nations.