ENGLAND-BASED Warriors defender Brendan Galloway is delighted to be back in the Warriors fold ahead of the four nations’ tournament currently underway in Malawi.
The 27-year-old star, who plays for English Championship Plymouth Argyle, last played for Zimbabwe in December 2021, in a 1 – 0 loss to Ghana in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Injury then kept him out of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Nigeria late last year.
And the player who has made 20 appearances for Argyle in the Championship this season is itching to add to his two international caps in the tournament which includes hosts Malawi, Zambia and Kenya.
“It’s nice to be around the boys again. Nice to be around all the family and everyone and looking forward to all the games together, hopefully to win, hopefully it’s a good camp to prepare us for the future,” he said.
“It’s always positive. It’s always a good camp, it's always friendly and welcoming and so the new faces we welcome them. You know I haven’t been here for a few years because of injury, but they welcomed me straight back into the team with pleasure.
“So we can always just gel together, help each other, that's the most important thing. The experienced one can look after the young ones. We just all gel together as one team.
“I just want to come out here and do my best and it’s always an honour to come down here. It’s always an honour to play for the national team. Hopefully, I can train well and impress,” Galloway added.
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Meanwhile, Warriors coach Norman Mapeza is excited to work with the new members of the Warriors squad at the four nation tournament in Malawi.
Mapeza is looking forward to assessing the UK-based quartet of Joey Phuthi (Sheffield Wednesday), Leicester City’s Tawanda Maswanhise, Shane Maroodza of Huddersfield Town and Brentford B side goalkeeper Marley Tavaziva who are all hoping to make their debuts for the Warriors.
Former Highlanders’ striker Daniel Msendami, now with Jwaneng Galaxy in Botswana is also expected to make his maiden appearance for the senior national team.
Local-based players itching to debut for the Warriors are Junior Makunike and Emmanel Jalai.
These join some players who former coach Baltemar Brito took to Rwanda last November for the opening Group C 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Nigeria, which ended in draws.
Galloway (Plymouth Argyle) and Macauley Bonne, who turns out for Cambridge United, make a return to the Warriors’ fold.
The bigger picture for Mapeza is the next World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and South Africa and he is happy with the turn-out for the Malawi tournament.
“It is a game of football, first of all, we need to win our games and secondly, it has much to do with the assessment of these guys who have not been here before. So there are clear objectives here,” Mapeza said.
Zimbabwe will clash with Zambia in the first semi-final before hosts Malawi and Kenya collide at the same stadium later in the day.
The final, featuring Saturday’s winners, will be played next Tuesday after the third-place play-off at Malawi’s Bingu National Stadium.
