Sports
Warriors Shift Home Tie Against South Africa to Neutral Venue
Zimbabwe will face South Africa next month in their penultimate 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, South African outlet City Press has reported.
The Warriors, who have been barred from hosting international matches locally due to the unavailability of CAF-certified stadiums, have been staging most of their “home” fixtures in South Africa. For this Group C encounter, however, the team will relocate to Botswana.
The venue change is intended to avoid perceptions of handing Bafana Bafana an unfair “home advantage” if the match were to be played in South Africa.
South Africa go into the fixture targeting maximum points to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive, while Zimbabwe — already out of contention — will use the clash as part of their build-up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco this December.
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is expected to announce the exact Botswana stadium to host the tie in due course.