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OpenKnowledge Musona Came Out Of Warriors Retirement In 2024, Says Nees
Warriors coach Michael Nees revealed that Knowledge Musona decided to come out of international retirement in 2024, during Zimbabwe’s qualification campaign for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Morocco later this year.
Speaking at a media conference in Harare on Wednesday, 12 March, where he announced his squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Benin and Nigeria, Nees disclosed that Musona had agreed to reverse his retirement in November.
The plan was for him to join the national team for the crucial match against Kenya, where Zimbabwe needed to avoid defeat to secure their AFCON qualification. Said Nees:
Knowledge (Musona) is a good player. He will add a lot of value to the team. He was supposed to come in November, yes, November.
We even applied for his visa (Cameroonian). He has a huge personality, and he didn’t want to steal the show since we had already won two games against Namibia.
But he was ready to come if we had then lost to Kenya or we had encountered a major problem like suspensions or injuries.
It could be that two or three players are injured or suspended, and you have to go to Cameroon and maybe get a win or a draw. So, we applied for a visa.
It shows the positive character, and that’s what we need. Not put me first, put the team first, the country first.
And that mentality we will have to set up more and more. That we have to put, everybody has to pull in the same direction.
Everybody needs Musona to add value to the team.
Nees told journalists that he drives across the country at night to watch players and has even obtained a Zimbabwe Defensive Driving certificate for added safety.
Musona had retired from international football after the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, and Zimbabwe faced a potential FIFA ban.
Nees’ discussions with Musona about his return were so discreet that even Musona’s brother, Walter, was unaware.
If selected, Musona could become the first Zimbabwean to feature in four AFCON finals later this year in Morocco.
The Warriors face Benin at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban next Thursday, followed by an away match against Nigeria in Uyo five days later. Currently, Zimbabwe sits at the bottom of Group C with two points, five behind leaders Rwanda after four rounds.
Nees inherits the campaign from Baltemar Brito, who managed two draws against Rwanda (1-0) and Nigeria (1-1), and Jairos Tapera, who oversaw losses to Lesotho (0-2) and South Africa (1-3).
More: The Herald
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