Zimbabwean star attacks reporter ahead of World Cup qualifier

Zimbabwean striker Tino Kadewere has earned the Warriors unnecessary negative attention ahead of Tuesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Rwanda.

Instead of focusing on the World Cup qualifying match for Group C in South Africa, the Zimbabwe football authorities are trying to douse the fire arising from the incident.

The incident happened as Zimbabwe are smarting from an away 1-0 loss to Benin last Friday. It was a result that counted the Warriors out of the race for a World Cup place.

Michael Nees’ team anchors the group with four points from seven games.

In the incident, Kadewere reportedly verbally harrassed Zimbabwean female sports journalist Yvonne Mangunda on the sidelines of the Warriors’ open training session in Johannesburg on Monday.

The former Lyon star reportedly accused the reporter of writing bad stories about him.

Zimbabwe FA apologises

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has since released a statement apologising to the journalist for the incident involving the 29-year-old attacker.

“ZIFA strongly condemns any form of abuse towards the media,” the statement reads.

“Journalists are a vital part of the game, and we are committed to ensuring they carry out their duties without fear or intimidation.

“The player has apologised to Ms Mangunda, and an amicable understanding between the two parties has been reached. The matter is being addressed through the appropriate disciplinary processes by both the team management and the association.”

Kadewere plays for Aris FC in the Greece Super League. He came to prominence after signing for the French Ligue 1 side Lyon in 2020 followed by a stint with Spanish La Liga outfit Mallorca.

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