Walter Musona hits back after being dropped from Warriors AFCON preliminary squad

Musona was one of six players withdrawn from the preliminary squad, with ZIFA stating he had suffered a hamstring injury during the Warriors' match against Algeria in Saudi Arabia.

According to the association, he did not train ahead of the subsequent clash against Qatar due to ongoing pain.

In a statement, ZIFA clarified the sequence of events that led to his omission.

"He injured his hamstring vs Algeria in Saudi Arabia and did not train ahead of the Qatar match due to pain. He was instructed to bring an ultrasound scan before camp but did not submit it. On Day 1 of the local camp, he was taken for an MRI scan. Official results are pending. Once cleared, he will rejoin the squad," the association said, as quoted by Soccer24.co.zw.

ZIFA added that the Scottland FC captain had been asked to provide an ultrasound report before joining camp but failed to do so, resulting in the medical team sending him for an MRI assessment on arrival.

Musona responded shortly after the announcement by posting a photo of himself in a Warriors jersey on Facebook with the caption: "1000% fit," signalling his belief that he is ready to play despite the reported injury.

The forward could still return to the national team setup once the MRI results are released, but his reinstatement will depend entirely on the medical findings.

The other players excluded from the Warriors' preliminary squad include Tymon Machope, Xolani Ndlovu, Andrew Mbeba, Emmanuel Jalai, and Junior Makunike.