As Mabaya Makes His England U18s Debut, We Look At Other Players Of Zimbabwe Descent Who Broke Into Three Lions Junior Teams & How They Progressed.
ENGLAND-born Liverpool rising star Isaac Mabaya becomes the latest player with Zimbabwean roots to be included in the England Under-18 squad which played Sweden and Denmark on March 25th and 28th respectively in Marabella, Spain.
The 17-year-old versatile midfielder who scored on his England Under-18 debut in a 2-3 win against Sweden on Friday, can also play as a right-back and is eligible to play for both Zimbabwe and England at international level.
Mabaya is one of the several talented youngsters born or bred overseas being tracked by Zimbabwe Warriors technical team in the hope of convincing them to represent Zimbabwe at senior international level.
So we’ve come up with a list of players with Zimbabwe heritage who once broke into the England junior teams and take a look at where they are now.
Brendan Galloway
Born in Harare, Zimbabwe and relocated to England when he was only six, Galloway was eligible to play for both England and Zimbabwe. The 26-year-old Plymouth Argyle left-back broke into England junior teams in 2012 when he was 16 years-old after named in Kenny Swain’s England Under-17 squad and made his debut against the Faroe Islands in August 2012. Galloway went on to represent England at Under-18s making three appearances and in the under – 19s level (eleven appearances) before making a single appearance for the under-21s.
In 2016, Zimbabwe approached Galloway to play for them in the 2017 African Cup of Nations but Galloway chose to remain part of the England U21 set up. He finally changed his allegiance in 2021 and represented Zimbabwe in a 1–0 loss to Ghana in a FIFA 2022 world cup qualifiers in October 2021.
Admiral Muskwe
Admiral Muskwe is another Zimbabwean youngsters raised in England who started budding at a very tender age. Having also relocated to England when he was young, Muskwe was eligible to play for England. The 23-year-old Luton Town forward first caught the eyes of England national team selectors after put on standby in the England U16 squad that participated in a Juniors tournament in France in March 2014.
Muskwe later represented the England national team at under-17 level, making his debut in the 2014 Nordic U17’s tournament. The former Leicester City academy star scored 2 goals in 4 appearances in the tournament and was one of the best future prospects for the Three Lions.
In November 2017, Muskwe switched allegiance and made his senior international debut for Zimbabwe Warriors appearing as a second-half substitute for Zimbabwe in a 1–0 defeat to Lesotho. He now has five caps for Zimbabwe Warriors.
Reiss Nelson
Born in England to a Zimbabwean father and a British mother, Reiss Nelson is also eligible to play for Zimbabwe Warriors. The 22-year-old Arsenal attacking midfielder on loan at Feyenoord in Netherlands has played for England junior teams at all levels from under-16s to under-21s.
Nelson started representing England national team in 2014-15 making three appearances for the U16s.
In May 2016, he was part of England U17 squad that reached the quarter-finals of UEFA European U17 tournament, playing four games, scoring three goals and was named player of the tournament.
In 2017-18, Nelson elevated to the U19s and made nine appearances for the Young Lions before making a single appearance for the U20s in 2018.
On October 11 2018, Nelson made his U21 debut against Andorra, coming on as a second-half substitute and scored the sixth goal in the team’s 7-0 win. He made twelve appearances for the U21s.
Nelson who revealed in 2017 that he wanted to commit his international career to the Three Lions is reportedly having a change of heart after continuous snubs from the senior team. He is contemplating to switch his allegiance.
Tristan Nydam
Just like Brendan Galloway and Admiral Muskwe, Tristan Nydam was born in Zimbabwe and relocated to England at young age.
Having brought up through Ipswich Town Academy, the retired 22-year-old former highly-rated left-back took no time to get noticed by England selectors after standing out in the tractors academy.
Nydam made his single appearance for the England U18 national team in a 2–1 win against Qatar on 24 March 2017.
He went on to make another single appearance for the England U19s in friendlies against Poland and Germany in September 2017. He made his debut in the game against Poland, starting the game in a 7–1 win.
On March 2022, Nydam announced his retirement from football at only 22 due to an eternal ankle injury.
Under FIFA’s new eligibility rules it is now possible for a player to change national team even if they have played competitively at senior level, provided: the player played in no more than three competitive senior games before the age of 21 or has not played in the final stage of an official tournament such as the World Cup, Africa Cup, European Championship, etc.
In addition a player can also change his allegiance when at least three years have passed after the player’s last senior appearance for their previous national team.
So Isaac Mabaya’s selection to the England U18s should not be seen as a loss to our beloved Warriors – Not as yet though -but as part of his development into a complete player.
It is our hope that he will get to choose Zimbabwe Warriors in the future for his senior international career.
