Wolves’s AFCON star praises dropped Munetsi

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Zimbabwean star Tawanda Chirewa has praised his compatriot and teammate Marshall Munetsi.

Chirewa, who Wolves coach Rob Edwards recalled from loan at Ipswich Town FC, will represent Zimbabwe at the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The biggest football competition in Africa will take place in Morocco from December 21 to January 18, 2026.

Ahead of the tournament, Zimbabwe coach Mario Marinica assessed Munetsi’s injury and decided to leave him out from the final squad.

The decision was premised on the calf injury the former Orlando Pirates man suffered two weeks ago during a Premier League match involving Wolves and Nottingham Forest.

However, Munetsi protested against the decision to drop him saying he would recover in time for AFCON.

How Munetsi helped Chirewa

Now, while Munetsi will focus on helping save the relegation- threated Wolves, the AFCON-bound Chirewa has highlighted how his compatriot helps him.

“The main thing I see from him is the positivity and the work rate, which I feel is something he has put onto me: to work hard every day and never let things outside of football, or how football’s going, affect your daily work, because the only way you can change your situation is by working hard,” Chirewa told Wolves media.

“He’s definitely helped me with that.”

Chirewa will be among the players to watch at AFCON where Zimbabwe will launch group-stage campaign against Egypt, South Africa and Angola.

⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.