Muskwe Back In Contention After Over A Year In The Wilderness
Forgotten forward Admiral Muskwe is back in contention for a place in the Zimbabwe Warriors squad after signing for English League two side Harrogate Town F.C. nearly thirteen months without playing competitive football.
The 26-year-old center-forward has earned 5 caps for Zimbabwe, but the last of those was in November 2023 against Rwanda in a FIFA World Cup qualifier which ended in a nil all draw.
The Warriors will be back in action in March 2025 when they open their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against Benin and Nigeria.
Muskwe who made his debut for Harrogate Town in a League Two match against Salford City on Tuesday after signing a short-term contract on Monday will be hoping to stay free from injuries and perform well to impress the new Warriors coach Michael Nees and make a return to the national team.
The talented former Leicester City academy graduate who was once considered to be the future both at the international and club level failed to reach his peak at Luton Town because of injuries and has been on loan to League Two side Fleetwood Town and League One outfit Exeter City before being released by the Hatters.
He last played his competitive match in November 2023 for Exeter and has been without a club ever since making him lose his place in the Warriors squad, but a return to competitive football will give him a chance to showcase his talents again and impress Nees who is still looking to improve his attack.
The Warriors have qualified for the finals with two wins and three draws, scoring five goals in three matches, while firing blanks in goalless draws against Kenya and Cameroon.
Prince Dube, Tinotenda Kadewere, Douglas Mapfumo, and Terrence Dzvukamanja have all been used as the number 9, but goals have not been coming to complement the midfield and defence which seem to be the team’s greatest strength so far.
However, Zimbabwe Warriors have made commendable progress since the appointment of Nees as head coach, dropping in the FIFA rankings from 129 in the World to 121 after their sixth qualification to Africa’s big stage.
