Official: Zimbabwe unleash Brentford, Udinese, Paris FC stars against Super Eagles

Zimbabwe’s Warriors have officially unveiled a strong 24-man squad ahead of their opening match at the 2026 Unity Cup against defending champions Nigeria, Afrik-Foot reports.

The four-nation invitational competition, which celebrates African and Caribbean football culture, will take place at The Valley, the home stadium of Charlton Athletic in London.

Nigeria will face Zimbabwe on Tuesday, 26 May, at 7:30 p.m. local time, while Jamaica will battle India in the second semi-final a day later. The final and third-place playoff are scheduled for Saturday, 30 May.

Zimbabwe’s interim coach Kaitano Tembo has clearly shown his intentions with a squad dominated by foreign-based players drawn from clubs across England, Italy, Belgium, Scotland, Greece, South Africa and France.

The Warriors will be led by experienced midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, who now plays for Sheffield Wednesday. The former Aston Villa star headlines a squad that also includes Udinese defender Jordan Zemura, Paris FC midfielder Marshall Munetsi, Brentford goalkeeper Marley Tavaziva and Motherwell forward Tawanda Maswanhise.

Munetsi’s inclusion is particularly significant because the midfielder returns after a five-month absence from the national team. Zemura is also back for the first time since November 2025 after previously staying away during a dispute involving selections under the former technical crew.

Zimbabwe also named several rising talents including Sheffield Wednesday youngster Sean Fusire, Barnsley winger Tawanda Chirewa and KV Mechelen attacker Bill Antonio.

Only two home-based players made the final squad list, goalkeeper Future Sibanda of ZPC Kariba and Highlanders midfielder Mongameli Tshuma, a pointer to how heavily Tembo has relied on players based abroad for this tournament.

The attacking department also looks dangerous with former Lyon striker Tino Kadewere, Young Africans forward Prince Dube, Orlando Pirates winger Daniel Msendami and TS Galaxy attacker Junior Zindoga all included.

Zimbabwe’s Warriors are using the the Unity Cup as preparation for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after recent changes in the coaching department following Mario Marinica’s exit.

Nigeria: Super Eagles preparing fresh-look squad for Zimbabwe

While Zimbabwe have already gone public with their squad, Nigeria are still expected to officially announce their final list later this week after head coach Eric Chelle reportedly submitted his selections to the Nigeria Football Federation.

The Super Eagles plan to approach the Unity Cup with a largely experimental squad featuring fringe internationals, Nigeria Premier Football League players and several fresh faces hoping to impress the new coaching crew.

Regular stars such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey, Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze are likely to miss the tournament as Chelle uses the London event to assess depth ahead of future competitive fixtures.

Among the names strongly linked with the squad is Plymouth Argyle striker Owen Oseni, who scored 10 goals in League One this season and is reportedly set for his first senior national team invitation.

Millwall attacker Femi Azeez has also been tipped for inclusion, while Pisa striker Rafiu Durosinmi could lead the attack alongside Porto’s Terem Moffi. Swedish-based youngster Zadok Yohanna is another player believed to have caught Chelle’s attention.

Several NPFL stars are also expected to travel to London, including Ikorodu City midfielder Joseph Arumala and Shooting Stars defender Abayomi Junior.

The Unity Cup will also represent an important opportunity for Nigeria to respond after frustrating recent meetings with Zimbabwe during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying series. The two games between Nigeria and Zimbabwe ended in draws, results that damaged the Super Eagles’ qualification hopes.

Nigeria won the revived Unity Cup in 2025 after defeating Jamaica on penalties in the final, and the tournament’s return to The Valley carries historical significance because the competition was first staged there in 2004.

With Zimbabwe arriving in London with one of their strongest squads in recent years and Nigeria expected to field several ambitious newcomers, the semi-final clash is already shaping up to be one of the standout fixtures of this year’s Unity Cup.

Zimbabwe’s squad for the Unity Cup

Goalkeepers

Marley Tavaziva (Brentford),
Future Sibanda (ZPC Kariba),
Elvis Chipezeze (Magesi)

Defenders

Jordan Zemura (Udinese),
Munashe Garananga (Hibernian),
Corbin Mthunzi (Ipswich Town),
Shane Maroodza (FK Sarajevo),
Gerald Takwara (Al-Ittihad Misurata),
Divine Lunga (Mamelodi Sundowns),
Emmanuel Jalai (Durban City),
Sean Fusire (Sheffield Wednesday)

Midfielders

Marvelous Nakamba (Sheffield Wednesday),
Marshall Munetsi (Paris FC),
Mongameli Tshuma (Highlanders),
Aboubacar Moffat (Scottland FC),
Jonah Fabisch (Erzgebirge Aue),
Tawanda Chirewa (Barnsley)

Attackers

Tino Kadewere (Aris Thessaloniki),
Tawanda Maswanhise (Motherwell),
Prince Dube (Young Africans),
Junior Zindoga (TS Galaxy),
Bill Antonio (KV Mechelen),
Daniel Msendami (Orlando Pirates)