Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo in DURBAN, South Africa
AT 40, Washington Arubi has had many good career moments for both club and country, but Friday night’s performance in Warriors colours should certainly rank amongst his finest.
The veteran Warriors goalkeeper stood tall and firm between the sticks as he helped Zimbabwe squeeze a point in their goalless draw against South Africa at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Bafana Bafana, the “visitors’’ in this 2026 World Cup qualifying game were odds-on to claim victory and stay level with Group C leaders Benin, who beat Lesotho 1-0 in Polokwane on the same night.
The South Africans were buoyed by their raucous fans and ran too fast and too hard.
But Arubi was ready to take down every attack they launched against the Warriors, of course with the help of the defence that was well-marshalled by Teenage Hadebe and Gerald Takwara.
Like a true veteran, the goalkeeper was also dishing out instructions to make sure everything remained intact.
It did not matter that the Warriors were already out of the running for a place at the 2026 World Cup, as they stood toe-to-toe with their fancied opponents, thanks in large part to Arubi’s brilliance.
The Marumo Gallants goalkeeper had dominated football discourse in South Africa in the run-up to Friday night’s Limpopo derby showdown after saving three penalties and converted one himself as his team upset giants Mamelodi Sundowns in a knockout league cup tournament.
And he took the club form straight to the international arena, facing predominantly the same players he had thwarted on behalf of Marumo Gallants.
The widely travelled goalkeeper attributed his fine form to confidence and hard work.
“Yeah, it was just a matter of being confident, you know, because I told myself (after the cup match against Mamelodi Sundowns) that, okay, these are the same guys that I’m going to meet,” said Arubi.
“Remember, I played against Mamelodi Sundowns last week and we managed to win that match on penalties. So, I told myself that, okay, I’m going to just keep my head up and take care of the business.”
And take care of the business he did in those outstanding 90 minutes of intense action.
With South Africa threatening to dismantle the Warriors from the onset, Arubi was soon called into action right in the opening moments when going down to collect a deflected Oswin Appolis square ball from the left.
Arubi got to the ball a second quicker than Lyle Forster, who could have latched onto the inviting ball and opened the scoring for South Africa.
Then he stopped Sipho Mbule’s speculative effort, going down to his left, punching it out right at the bounce before pushing Mohau Nkota’s thunderous strike three minutes before the break.
Arubi was to tighten the angle again in the second for Forster, who had broken loose after beating the offside trap, until Divine Lunga cleared the ball off the line in what was the match’s best chance.
The former Dynamos and Lancashire Steel goalkeeper paid tribute to Warriors fans who made their presence felt at Moses Mabhida.
“I just want to thank the fans, you know, they managed to come in numbers, the 12th man; we felt them, you know, we felt their presence and I really appreciate it,” he said.
“You know, they pushed us hard, especially when we were one man down. I feel like we are still living because of the fans. I really appreciate the work they’ve done.
“Yeah, it’s a good result even though we are no longer going to qualify, but we just have to keep on pushing and you know just make sure that we improve again. Even though we really wanted to win, we played with 10 men for 25 minutes.
“The guys, they pushed, they worked hard. It was good work. So, we take that one point and go home.”
Arubi was always dishing out instructions, especially after Knowledge Musona was sent off.
Tinaye Agere