Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WARRIORS star Jordan Zemura said Zimbabwe can turn on the style against perennial rivals South Africa and end their winless run in the 2026 World Cup football campaign.
Zimbabwe have endured the ignominy of being the only team in Group C of the African Zone qualifiers who are still to record a win.
Their four points have come off back-to-back draws with Nigeria’s Super Eagles.
The points came from draws with Rwanda and Benin.
Tonight at Moses Mabhida in Durban, the Warriors, with their pride battered and their pedigree at World Cup level being questioned, will seek to redeem themselves.
A huge and carnival crowd is expected at this 2010 World Cup venue in Durban where the Warriors are having to host their rivals.
Despite the Warriors being well out of contention, they still have a huge say in their Group C standings as they could dent Bafana Bafana’s own hopes and aspirations of being part of the historic global football fiesta which will be a 48-team showpiece to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.
Italy-based utility man Zemura said the Warriors have goals to achieve even after their qualification interests ended in agonising 1-0 defeats by Benin and Rwanda last month.
Zemura’s class of Warriors have conceded the most number of goals while scoring the least out of the Group C lot.
But Zemura believes getting into today’s game against a South Africa side still pinching themselves for conceding top spot purely out of their own making having been docked three points for using an ineligible player, will allow them to finally master a win.
It’s a match that South Africa should win to keep alive their hopes of winning the sole ticket to North America as they sit second in the group on 14 points with an inferior goal difference leaving them behind surprise leaders Benin.
There is no doubting that the bulk of the pressure will be on South Africa.
However, Warriors coach Michael Nees, with only two wins over Namibia, has his own pressure.
The German coach has to bring back a winning momentum in the Warriors, just two months before Zimbabwe head to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Similarly for Zemura, is the need for the Warriors to win to bust the winless streak and also make sure they take back the bragging rights in this storied Battle of the Limpopo derby showdown.
South Africa go into battle with a psychological edge after coach Hugo Broos saw his Bafana Bafana prevail 3-1 over the Warriors in Bloemfontein in the reverse fixture in June last year.
But a lot has changed since then with Nees replacing Jairos Tapera as coach while veterans Knowledge Musona, Washington Arubi and Khama Billiat are among the faces who were absent when Zimbabwe suffered the defeat at Toyota Stadium.
“We are seeing this tie as a must win game given what’s at stake,’’ Zemura said.
“We don’t care about their camp, whether they have the pressure or not.
“We care for ourselves, we look at ourselves in the mirror and tell ourselves that we can do better than what we have done.
“This is why we have to win this match against South Africa’’.
Zemura is also not happy with the Warriors poor run of results.
“It’s been almost a year since we won an international match.
“We should be the first to say that’s unacceptable because it is.
“We haven’t won any match in this campaign and all that has to change tomorrow. South Africa are our neighbours and we should be motivated by that need to win the derby.
“This is a World Cup match and we should know it also affects our rankings’’.
The former Bournemouth man is expecting a close and tense game and wants the Warriors to maximise on their chances.
“So, we have been telling each other to raise the game. South Africa is a good team and we are expecting the match to be tough.
“But we need to really play well and be able to seize our moments.”
Mamelodi Sundowns left-back Divine Lunga who will be playing in familiar territory echoed Zemura’s sentiments.
“We are all eager to go out there and express ourselves.
“We need to win this match at all costs. South Africa is a good team. We know how they play. They also know us. It will be a tough match but we need a win to at least ease the pressure of going for so long without winning a game.
“We are calling upon fans here in Durban to come in their numbers and support our cause.
“They have been so amazing and we need their presence to fuel us on.”
