Online Reporter
THE Warriors complete their futile 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign tonight with a clash against Lesotho and desperate for a consolation win.
Both teams are out of running for the group’s automatic ticket to next year’s finals, but Zimbabwe have the unwanted record of being the only member without victory in nine rounds of matches.
Friday’s heroics against bitter rivals South Africa will count for nothing if the Warriors do not use their vast attacking arsenal to beat Lesotho.
But with all eyes on who progresses from the group between current leaders Benin, pre-qualifiers favourites Nigeria and longtime leaders, South Africa very little attention will be on the Warriors’ clash with Lesotho.
Even as late as yesterday, the talk was still on the Warriors’ goalless draw with South Africa at the Moses Mabhida stadium on Friday night. It was a result that left South Africa without control of what happens to the group.
Now they must win against Rwanda by at least two goals and hope that Benin fail to win against Nigeria if Bafana Bafana are to win the group.
Friday night’s goalless draw between Zimbabwe and South Africa at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban was more than just a frustrating result for Bafana Bafana—it became a flashpoint for a disturbing wave of xenophobic sentiment.
As South Africa’s hopes of automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup dimmed, some disappointed fans turned their ire not toward missed chances or tactical missteps, but toward Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa.
The calls—some veiled, others explicit—for deportation of Zimbabweans in response to a football result are not only morally indefensible but a stark reminder of the dangers of conflating sport with politics and identity.
Zimbabwe, reduced to ten men after Knowledge Musona’s red card, defended resolutely and rode their luck.
The result, while disappointing for South African fans, was not a betrayal—it was football. A game of margins, of unpredictability, and of shared passion across borders.
Yet, in the aftermath, social media and some public spaces echoed with vitriol. Zimbabweans were scapegoated, not for any wrongdoing, but for the nationality of the players who dared to frustrate South Africa’s World Cup ambitions.
This reaction is not just misguided—it is dangerous. It weaponises sport, turning a unifying spectacle into a tool of division. It ignores the very essence of football: a game that transcends borders, languages, and politics.
Zimbabweans in South Africa are not responsible for the draw. They are not agents of sabotage. They are workers, students, neighbours, and fellow lovers of the beautiful game. Many were likely cheering for Bafana Bafana, hoping for a Southern African representative on the world stage.
Deportation threats and xenophobic rhetoric distract from the real issues. If South Africa failed to score, it was due to tactical inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and perhaps nerves under pressure—not the nationality of the opposition.
As South Africa prepares for its final qualifier against Rwanda, the focus should be on the pitch—not on punishing innocent people for a draw. Let the players regroup, let the fans rally behind them, and let the nation remember that football is not war—it is a game.
And in games, sometimes you win, sometimes you draw, and sometimes you lose. But humanity must always triumph.
Mathew Masinge