Online Reporter
Tedious Manyepo in DURBAN, South Africa
Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
South Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
IN the end it felt more like a point gained for Zimbabwe and two valuable ones lost by “visitors’’ South Africa in this tense 2026 World Cup Group C football qualifying showdown at Moses Mabhida here last night.
The Warriors were already out of contention for a place at the World Cup but were eager to avoid the ignominy of suffering back-to-back defeats to Bafana Bafana in this campaign.
Zimbabwe had already lost the reverse fixture 3-1 in Bloemfontein in June last year and were clearly the under-dogs on the back of a poor campaign in which they remain the only team Group C without a win. South Africa arrived in Durban in second place and needing to win and bounce back after being docked of three points by FIFA for use of an ineligible player.
The Warriors rarely get so much continental attention and when they did, they made sure they would be remembered for decades across the footballing world.
Reduced to 10-man with 25 more minutes to play after veteran forward Knowledge Musona was dismissed for a second bookable offence, they put up a disciplined show to shove neighbours Bafana Bafana to the edge before a packed Moses Mabhida.
And they fought for every piece, managing to squeeze a point, that might not mean a lot for them but everything in the face of world football.
The Warriors were already bottom of Group C with four points in eight games and South Africa second and still primed to win the sole ticket to North America next year but they were gallant in all phases of play to scrap a draw off this contest.
That they were 1/15 in bookmakers’ odds never showed, not even once in the entire 90 minutes of intense end-to-end duel.
Coach Michael Nees spent the past month talking about the need to be fair competitors and they brought exactly that spirit at the sold out iconic 56 000-seater venue.
It’s a match they would even look back, in hindsight, and say it was winnable.
Nees was all smiles at the end of it all and said: “I think the game showed that football can also be entertaining when no goals are scored.
“If every game would be like that, I think everybody would always go home with a feeling of satisfaction for the money spent.
“It was a fight on a high level with drama, yellow-red card, questionable, a fair, a very fair match.
“I think I didn’t see a single bad tackle with bad intentions.
Jordan Zemura (left) and Mbekezeli Mbokazi in a tussle for the ball during their 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. – (Darren Stewart/Gallo Images).
“And when you think what was, we discussed it before, what was at stake. So it was a real fair contest.
“We showed what we said. We don’t want to be, how can I say? We want to be fair sportsmen. We give everything because it’s also important for us, for the AFCON and for many other reasons.
“And I think we showed that we are a team, a real team, stick together.
“I was very impressed how, especially after the yellow-red card, how we were fighting really to the limit and with a little bit luck, we would have almost won the game,’’ Nees said.
“But we must also admit South Africa also played very strong and had also those chances.
“So I think between neighbours, I think it’s a good draw.
“Yeah, I mean, I saw it not the first time from the team. Actually, I saw it many, many, many times.” Of course, some individuals blundered in so many ways in critical phases but everyone showed that Warrior spirit whose product was celebrated wildly in Benin and Nigeria who reignited chances of progressing to the World Cup ahead of South Africa when they meet in two days’ time.
South Africa asked so many questions with Oswin Appolis first sliding a low cross that was dealt with by the out-standing Washington Arubi, who would go on to give one of his best performances in history.
Theboho Mokoena, substitute Thapelo Morena and Lyle Foster all came close but Zimbabwe answered their inquiries with a lot of incisiveness.
The Warriors quality was in full show with Jordan Zemura and Khama Billiat leading the songs.
Warriors fans cheer on their team as it played a goalless draw against Bafana Bafana in the penultimate 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa yesterday.
It was the former who came within inches of breaking the South African hearts right in the end but unfortunately saw his razing effort kissing the upright on its way out with Robert Williams a beaten man.
“I don’t think many teams today could have come to South Africa in a full packed house and get a draw, especially then with the yellow, red card is just a very questionable one.
“And we can be there from the performance, from the attitude, also from the skills, satisfied.”
South Africa coach Hugo Broos was disappointed although he can still lead the team to the World Cup with a win over Rwanda coupled with a loss for Benin against Nigeria on the last day of the qualifiers.
With a number of missed chances, goal-line clearances, luck certainly wasn’t on the side of Bafana against the determined Warriors.
“Yes, it’s true, I think we tried everything today, we didn’t have the luck either, one moment on the ball line saved, one on the post, you also need a little bit of luck in such games and we didn’t have it in our side today,” Broos told SABC Sport.
“We fight for it, we did everything, tried everything but ok, you see a very motivated Zimbabwe team against us and we knew it would be tough, but that’s also football.
“It was not in our favour, at that moment Zimbabwe just played 20 metres of their goal and they tried with the transitions they would be dangerous and they tried a few times with the transitions.
“They were dangerous too, but this is something that’s very hard to accept certainly, it’s not lost totally but it will be very difficult now,” he added.
With both Benin and Nigeria winning their respective matches, it doesn’t paint a good picture for Bafana but not all is lost.
“Yeah, this is not good, also that we don’t have the result in our favour either but what can I say? I can’t blame my team, I can’t be angry, I’m just very disappointment that we couldn’t score the goal that we needed,” Broos said.
“We have to play again like today and try to win that game and see what happens, if everything is like it has to be maybe Benin losing in Nigeria and with the goal-difference, I don’t have a good view of that but we just have to go for the victory against Rwanda and see what happens.”
But the story of the night definitely belongs to Zimbabwe who despite now assured of finishing last in Group C showed the world that they are indeed a competitive side.
Teams:
Zimbabwe: Washington Arubi, Jordan Zemura, Munashe Garananga, Divine Lunga, Teenage Hadebe, Gerald Takwara, Marvelous Nakamba, Marshal Munetsi, Khama Billiat, Knowledge Musona, Tawanda Chirewa
South Africa: Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau, Theboho Mokoena, Lyle Foster, Oswin Appolis, Aubrey Modiba, Sphephelo Sithole, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Mohau Nkota, Thapelo Morena 46min, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Sipho Mbule
