HARARE – Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Sean Fusire has broken his silence over his last-minute exclusion from the Warriors squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda.
Fusire is out of the squad owing to unprofessional stance by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) to guarantee basic necessities to guarantee the safety of the player.
Fusire who has been recovering from a long-term injury, has apologized to coach Michael Nees and the fans for the confusion owing to his request for safety guarantees which ZIFA silently turned down.
“Unfortunately, things did not progress as I had thought but all I had communicated to officials was an honest picture of what I thought at the time,” Fusire said in a statement.
“After I had been informed of my selection for the camp and given flights, I simply inquired to officials about total travel duration which would have amounted in excess of 40+ hours.
“In my opinion, and thinking about my previous injury history and the physical demand on my body due to being under cramped travel situations, I requested for an upgrade in flights,” he added.
Full statement from Sean Fusire
Dear Warriors,
Firstly, I would like to sincerely apologise to my coach, Michael Nees, to the team, and most importantly to our fans for the confusion around my attendance to this current camp which unfortunately I will no longer be a part of.
This is disappointing for me personally as well as a player. At the same time as a professional, I acknowledge my part in the confusion that has taken place, this is not how I desired for things to unravel.
I confirm that I have no issues at all with ZIFA, the team, or the country. I am very proud to be Zimbabwean.
Unfortunately, things did not progress as I had thought but all I had communicated to officials was an honest picture of what I thought at the time.
After I had been informed of my selection for the camp and given flights, I simply inquired to officials about total travel duration which would have amounted in excess of 40+ hours.
In my opinion, and thinking about my previous injury history and the physical demand on my body due to being under cramped travel situations, I requested for an upgrade in flights.
This request I made just to ensure that I am fully fit and ready for Abidjan, Johannesburg and also when I return to my club after the camp.
I requested that my flights be upgraded to either business or at least economy premium.
After this was declined I further requested that I do all flights economy except the last flight from South Africa back to the UK which is an 11 hour flight non stop. Unfortunately, this was also declined.
When I offered to put my owed allowances from the last camp towards an upgrade of the last flight, I was hoping for a response from the official I was communicating with but unfortunately there was no further communication and I am not sure as to why.
At this stage I did not feel comfortable to travel without a resolution to the matter.
Now, I want to extend my sincere apologies to Coach Michael Nees, the Team and our Fans for the inconvenience this has caused.
It is indeed regrettable for me that things have gone this way but I thought I should clarify things in the wake of lots of misconstrued stories or falsehoods.
I am happy and proud to play for the Warriors. As a player and also a Zimbabwean, I am disappointed to miss out on this occasion. I am sorry for what has happened at this current camp.
I just want to reiterate that I have no issue with the ZIFA and definitely my love for the country of Zimbabwe is forever in my heart.
I also want to say that the decision not to travel wasn’t for financial implications or gain and I want to avoid any misconstrued stories as it was more of a logistical problem to ensure I would be fit for the upcoming international games and games back in England.
Finally, I want to say that it is a great honour for me personally and also to my family to be called up for National Duty. I remain ready and honoured to be given another chance to play for Zimbabwe in the future.
I simply thought I should clear the air and put the record right in the midst of all this media frenzy. I look forward to moving ahead in the future and the season ahead.
I wish the boys every good luck and success in Ivory Coast and also in South Africa.
Go Warriors Go!!
