Marvelous Nakamba: ‘No racism in Zimbabwe camp’

Zimbabwe captain Marvelous Nakamba has once again addressed concerns of divisions in Warriors’ camp ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals.

The delegation for Zimbabwe arrived in Qatar over the weekend ahead of a friendly on Monday. This is a second friendly for Mario Marinica’s side which lost 3-1 to Algeria in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

The defeat in the former Liberia mentor’s first game in charge sparked a storm in camp amid reports of players’ revolving against the new coach. Other quarters suggested that some players were against Marinica’s use of strong and insensitive language bordering on racism.

The former Malawi trainer did admit eventually that he was facing resistance from some players who wanted the team to play the old way.

Winger Tatenda Chirewa’s withdrawal from camp also fueled the speculation of the fallout, prompting the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) to set the record straight that he had not dumped the team but rather his Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers had called him for an assessment by a new coach.

Now ahead of the AFCON warm up against Qatar, Nakamba has leapt to the defence of Marinica who is at the centre of a racism storm.

“The training was massive today as everyone was pushing each other. The training was well compared to a few days before some people were tired. From the boys to the country, we say everyone will give his best. We will do everything, so keep on supporting us. Believe in the team. We need your support,” the Luton FC midfielder told ZIFA media.

The former Aston Villa star then addressed issues of the reported divisions and racism claims concerning the coach.

What Nakamba said about reports of racism in camp

“The camp is not divided. We are one. We are Zimbabweans. We need to support each other. We are trying to adjust to the new philosophy of the new coach. As players, we will try to understand his style of play. The team always comes first. We will do everything to maximise the time we are in camp, as we are preparing for a big tournament in Africa,” Nakamba explained.

“So far, I haven’t heard any racist remarks…so far we are just focusing on training. Of course, there is speculation…football is a game of emotions…but the team comes first…keep on supporting us.”

The Englishman, who replaced sacked Michael Nees, has a big task of leading Zimbabwe at the 2025 AFCON finals where they will compete in Group B against South Africa, Angola and record winners Egypt.

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