Update on Warriors squad as Andy Rinomhota withdraws from AFCON camp

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has confirmed that all players in the Warriors squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations are now in camp but there’s a late withdrawal.

The national team arrived in Morocco on Wednesday after spending two weeks in camp in Harare.

A locally based group, along with a few foreign-based players, took part in the preparations in the capital.

Only Bill Antonio, Tawanda Chirewa, Tawanda Maswanhise, Andy Rinomhota, Brendan Galloway, Jonah Fabisch and Munashe Garananga were not part of the early preparations, with the group flying straight to Morocco from their respective bases.

The team held their first full training session together on Friday.

However, after the first training, Rinomhota announced that he is withdrawing from the tournament to attend to a family emergency.

A statement by Rinomhota reads:

I wish to inform the public that I have had to withdraw from the Zimbabwe Men’s National Team camp, effective immediately, due to an urgent family matter that requires my full personal attention.

I am deeply gutted to miss out on a tournament of this magnitude. Representing Zimbabwe at the highest level has always been a source of pride, and while I was fully committed to this opportunity, the timing of this family matter means I am not in the right psychological space to give the team my very best.

This decision has not been taken lightly. I remain fully committed to the national team and look forward to returning to duty once the family matter has been resolved.

I would like to wish my teammates and the entire technical group the very best at the tournament. I will be supporting them wholeheartedly and praying that Zimbabwe goes all the way.

I would like to thank the Zimbabwe Football Association for the opportunity and support they have given me.

I respectfully request privacy for myself and my family during this period.

The Warriors will begin their AFCON campaign against Egypt on 22 December, before taking on Angola on 26 December. They will round off their group-stage matches against South Africa on 29 December.

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