Munetsi versatility has Nees buzzing

Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter

MICHAEL NEES is happy to see Warriors vice-captain Marshal Munetsi playing high-up at his English Premier League side Wolves.

Rather than being perplexed by Vitor Pereira’s decision to fix the energetic Zimbabwean mainly in central attack since he joined the Wanderers on transfer dead-line day last month, the Zimbabwe coach feels this can sharpen him further with the Warriors also set to be beneficiaries.

“I am not surprised to see Munetsi playing in those advanced roles. He is a very versatile player who can thrive in any of those central axis positions,” said Nees.

“We have played him in those positions before and you know it, he could have scored two or three times for the Warriors with a bit of luck.

“He is a typical box-to-box player who can play as a 10, an 8 or a central striker except maybe in the wings. He is very flexible and can be effective in any position including, of course, being a 6.”

Nees is looking at reviving Zimbabwe’s push for a 2026 World Cup spot when the qualifiers return later this month.

The Warriors anchor the six-team Group C with only two points, five behind leaders Rwanda after four round of fixtures.

And the German gaffer, while being realistic about Zimbabwe’s prospects, believes the group is still open and if the Warriors can conjure some positive results consistently, they can end up having a chance at a shot in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America next year.

Zimbabwe will play Benin at the Moses Mabida Stadium in Durban, South Africa on March 20 before flying to Uyo, Nigeria to face the Super Eagles, who are second from last in the group, five days later.

But Nees will be without Tino Kadewere and Bill Antonio for the two fixtures while Marvelous Nakamba, who has been ruled out until end of May by his English Championship side Luton Town due to an injury, will have to be assessed.

“The team started the World Cup journey about a year-and-a-half ago. It was interrupted by the AFCON qualification, as you know. And when you look at the situation in the World Cup group, our situation is not perfect.

“We are in the last position with two points, and a minus four goal difference. Three teams are on the top with seven points. It’s a very bizarre situation, when you look at it, that a team like Nigeria is second from the bottom with three points right and Rwanda is leading, but it shows how competitive football is.

“If you don’t bring the right psychological profile, the right mental approach, the right attitude, the right tactical approach, organizational support. If you don’t get everything right, even a team like Nigeria can simply now sit almost at the bottom of a group and others are leading. Football is tight, and we must respect every opponent, we are not in a position to disrespect anybody. It’s also not my style, because I can tell you, football, there are so many variables influencing the outcome of performance of a game, and the other teams are also giving their best, so we must respect everybody and really acknowledge their strengths, but also try to explore their weak points at the same time.

He said the team can transform the same level of confidence they showed in their successful AFCON qualification journey to the World Cup contest.

“I think we must have the confidence from our last half year, how we developed. We mustn’t make ourselves smaller than we are, but also not bigger than we are. We had successful clarification in a very difficult group where two teams competed in the second round of the last AFCON, and even the Kenya team, if you look at the games, was a very strong team, and so we deserved the qualification.

“It was not out of luck in very difficult circumstances. You know we didn’t have any home games and all that. You know that. So we qualified, we can take the positive things out of that, the development of the team, and with that positive spirit, we must now approach this.”