Zimbabwe Hosts Bafana at Moses Mabhida for World Cup Qualifier

Zimbabwe’s upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Bafana Bafana is set to be played at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium next month, according to reports.

This publication has been informed that the announcement will be made later on Friday or in the next coming days.

Match Details and Venue

The match, which will be the penultimate game of the Group C World Cup qualifiers, is preliminarily scheduled on 6 October.

There had been rumors that Zimbabwe was considering moving the match outside of South Africa, with some reports even suggesting that Nigeria had offered them money to do so. However, Zimbabwe officials were rumoured to have said that they would not move the game from their neighboring country.

Following this home game against Zimbabwe, Bafana Bafana will conclude their qualifying campaign with an away match against Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium on 13 October. The team must secure victories in both matches to have a chance at qualifying for the World Cup.

It will not be the first time Zimbabwe has played a qualifier at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, having previously drawn 1-1 against Benin at the venue in March.

Qualification Scenarios and Challenges

The qualification race remains tight for Bafana Bafana, who currently lead the group on 17 points after eight matches played. However, the team is facing a potential three-point deduction and a 3-0 loss to Lesotho, as midfielder Teboho Mokoena was ineligible to play in their March qualifier.

If the points are deducted since the matter is now being investigated by the FIFA disciplinary committee, Bafana Bafana would be tied with Benin at 14 points.

Benin will take the top spot in the group due to a super goal difference against Bafana Bafana after all the calculations. Nigeria, who have drawn twice with Bafana Bafana, are currently in third place with 11 points, the same as Rwanda. The final match between Nigeria and Rwanda is likely to be a decider, playing a huge role in Bafana Bafana’s favour.

In the African qualifiers, only the winners of each group automatically qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The four best second-placed teams will then proceed to a play-off round for an additional chance at qualification.