England-born Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Tawanda Chirewa is now eligible for Zimbabwe after he obtained a Zimbabwean passport on Wednesday, 05 June.
This means that the rising star in the 23-man Warriors squad camped in South Africa is available for selection for Zimbabwe’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C qualifiers against Lesotho and South Africa.
Chirewa’s passport was processed at the Harare passport offices. It was expected to be delivered to Johannesburg, in time for the Warriors’ match against Lesotho at Orlando Stadium on Friday.
Zimbabwe will then play South Africa at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.
There were fears that 20-year-old Chirewa, capable of playing as a winger or in the number 10 position, might miss out on representing the Warriors due to lacking a Zimbabwean passport.
However, ZIFA, with assistance from the Registrar General’s office, worked tirelessly to obtain the document in time for the World Cup qualifiers.
ZIFA chief executive officer, Yvonne Mapika Manwa, confirmed the development to Zimpapers Sports yesterday. She said:
Yes, we can confirm that Chirewa is now the holder of a Zimbabwean passport and will be eligible to play in the World Cup Qualifiers versus Lesotho and Bafana Bafana should the coaches select him.
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Chirewa made his full English Premier League debut on April 20, when Wolves lost 2-0 against Arsenal at Molineux. He made eight appearances for Wolves, who finished 14th on the log table.
Speaking to ZIFA online in South Africa, Chirewa said he was excited to be part of the Warriors squad for the qualifiers. He said:
It’s good to be here. This is my first camp with the lads. Just proud and excited to be here and looking forward to the games.
Everyone has been good to me. I can’t complain, it’s good to be here. I can’t wait to play…
My best position is number 10, behind the striker. I can play forward, try to get goals and assist as well.
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