MOSES Mabhida Stadium in Durban prepares to host one of the most uniquely charged fixtures in the World Cup qualifying calendar this evening.
At 6pm, the Warriors of Zimbabwe will take on neighbours South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in a clash where the hosts are, ironically, the visitors.
Due to the lack of a CAF-accredited stadium back home, Zimbabwe is forced to stage its final home World Cup qualifier on South African soil, a twist of fate that adds a layer of complexity to this already intense Southern African derby.
For Zimbabwe, the World Cup dream is mathematically over. They sit rock bottom of Group C with a solitary four points from eight matches, remaining stubbornly winless — a record they are desperate to erase in their final two fixtures against South Africa and Lesotho on Tuesday.
Captain Marvelous Nakamba, however, sees this not as a dead rubber, but a crucial building block.
He has smartly re-framed the match as an early dress rehearsal for the 2025 Afcon finals in Morocco, where the two nations are drawn in the same group.
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“As you know we are out of the running for World Cup qualification so we are taking the match as an Afcon qualifier since we have already qualified,” Nakamba said, radiating confidence despite the Warriors’ poor run of form.
He is banking on the geographical proximity to galvanise a strong support base in Durban. "Of course we are playing away from home but I believe tomorrow we will have a lot of fans because South Africa is close to Zimbabwe."
The sense of national pride and ending the campaign on a positive note is all the motivation the Warriors need to be party-spoilers for their desperate neighbours.
However, Nakamba is ineligible to play today’s match due to suspension.
For South Africa, the stakes could not be higher.
Hugo Broos’ men are second, tied on 14 points with leaders Benin, and are in a fierce three-way battle for the sole automatic qualification spot. They desperately need maximum points from their two remaining matches, with a superior goal difference being a key tie-breaker.
Broos remains defiant despite the administrative blunder that saw Fifa dock three points from Bafana Bafana for fielding an ineligible player, a decision that tightened the group considerably.
The Belgian coach channelled his frustration into a rallying cry for his squad.
“I was a little disappointed when the three points were deducted and some people started to doubt that we could qualify for America and I never understood that because we were not beaten on the pitch,” Broos stated.
“I told the players this week that don’t start doubting. I feel the players know that they are no worse than they were two months ago.
“It is the same team with the same quality and fantastic mentality. And tomorrow at 6pm, the match starts and we fight for it like lions.”
South Africa must live up to this fighting talk to secure the vital win.
They are facing a Zimbabwe side, which, though winless, has nothing to lose — a dangerous combination that could see the Warriors play with a freedom Bafana cannot afford.
Key Warriors like Marshall Munetsi, and veteran Khama Billiat, who have extensive experience on South African fields, will be looking to unleash an upset that would send shockwaves across the continent.
This derby is not just a battle for three points; it is a duel for pride, a fight for a winless streak to end, and for South Africa, a do-or-die mission to keep the World Cup dream burning brightly.