Zimbabwe have reversed their decision to move their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier away from South Africa, with Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium now confirmed as the venue for the match scheduled for Monday, October 6, according to media outfit IOL.
The global showpiece will be jointly hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada next year, and should they qualify, Bafana Bafana would make their first return to the World Cup through the qualifying route since the 2002 Korea-Japan edition.
Zimbabwe’s preferred choice was a venue in Botswana, but with the Zebras scheduled to play their own World Cup qualifier against Uganda there on October 6, they had no option but to revert to the originally planned South African venue.
Bafana still face uncertainty over the eligibility of Teboho Mokoena, who received two yellow cards leading up to South Africa’s 2-0 win against Lesotho in March.
FIFA confirmed last week that it would investigate the matter, and if South Africa is found guilty, the team could face a points deduction, with a 3-0 loss applied as punishment.
While Hugo Broos and his charges currently stand on the brink of qualification, the investigation casts a shadow over their campaign.
The recent venue shift, however, provides a silver lining, allowing Bafana to play their “away” match in familiar surroundings and regain some comfort ahead of the crucial fixture.
Bafana are currently leading Group C on 17 points, three more than second-placed Benin, with each team having played eight matches.
Also Read: 2026 WCQ: Broos Announces Preliminary Bafana Bafana Squad For Zimbabwe, Rwanda Clashes
Nigeria’s Super Eagles, who have been disappointing in the qualifiers, are third on 11 points.
Zimbabwe, on the other hand, have endured a poor run in the qualifiers and sit at the bottom of the group with just four points.
With uncertainty lingering over Bafana due to the investigation, it becomes vital for South Africa to capitalise on their wounded neighbours.
Irrespective of the investigation’s outcome, the team’s fate remains in their own hands heading into the final two round of fixtures.
13 Comments
Thank you Zimbabwe if this update is true. Since NFF only knows how to embezzle their pockets with ill-gotten gains instead of playing football politics well and get Botswana to approve another stadium for Zimbabwe with full 2 weeks to go, let Zim just be the whipping boys for RSA to get back their handsome goal difference.
Very crazy football house. They should just go on October 13th when reality dawns on us that we can still miss out on the world cup even if Africa will provide 30 teams.
That serves us right, whether NFF or foreign born pros hesitating to swoop on us if we qualify so as to experience international football or the always-strolling-to-camp most unserious set of our national team players who should gladly tell their generation they were the first ever set to miss consecutive world cups because they made Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and even rwanda and Benin Republic (all combined populations didn’t even reach ours) very superior.
Wetin concern me? It’s their market value that will diminish and rankings to lesser pots in subsequent draws – from the highest ever 20 years ago (5th in the world in 1994) to Zimbabwe and Lesotho levels in 2025
They want to help their brother South Africa qualify for worldcup. I bet you, South Africa will win that match. All these rubbish done by CAF president will one day bounce back. It’s a shame for African football
Is this one news? Why don’t you share this news with NFF. These World Cup Qualifiers is the strangest I’ve experienced as a Nigerian. With South Africa and it’s neighbours working together to Favor them. I hope they continue with this weird trend.
The earlier we forget about this world cup the better for us fans. As for me I have moved on.
Looks like NFF, CAF and may be FIFA connive to deny we fan the joy of watching se in next year world.
If NFF don’t fight this battle then they must be sacked.
How can South Africa be playing almost all their matches at home while the NFF Ajewomasan is sitting there doing nothing?
This is another opportunity for us to qualify for the World Cup, but if this news is true and the NFF has not taken action, then Nigerian football is indeed in trouble.
Rwanda is the team that can beat South Africa not Zimbabwe. South Africa will do whatever it takes to win that match. They may take Rwanda to the same venue they took Nigeria to due to the poor Nigerian administrator.
I still believe Nigeria will make it to the World Cup, but the NFF may be the only Super Eagles obstacle due to their lack of knowledge or incompetence. If these are the people who can run our sports both home and abroad, then Nigeria is finished, period. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Guys, I feel your pain. Your frustration is felt by most Nigeria football fans. We have a completely useless football federation. How is it that they did not launch a massive protest when it became clear that SA will be the venue for a Zim home match? As for CAF, I just dey look dem with bombastic side eye. Cold they not move the game to a neutral venue, as is customary in situations like this?
BTW, we are in this mess because our boys failed to take care of business on the pitch. If we had flogged SA home and away, if they like, Zim can play the game in their bedroom. We would have been okay! Now, calculator sellers are experiencing peak profits as Nigerians are now calculating permutation and combination on top Super Eagles matter.
I am just tired. If we manage to squeeze into the world cup with this squad, is it not disgrace and shame that is waiting for us? With the level we see this squad playing, we will collect wotowoto at the mundial. A team that struggles to score goals, even though we have a truckload of strikers. Weak midfield, poor defense, and a coach that keeps putting square pegs in round holes. Imagine him playing Onyeka, a DM, on the right wing against Rwanda! If NFF had done their jobs right, we would have hired a world class coach, invited only the best players, and by now, we would have qualified WITH GAMES TO SPARE. But look at us now. It is no longer in our hands. IT SERVES US RIGHT.
@pompei, thank you, if we have taken care of our side, we should not look at what SA is doing with their neighbours.
I have mentioned it here before that there is no sports organisation that shoots itself on the foot like our nff.
They have been doing this since 1970s and they will continue.
It’s greed and corruption, it’s in their dna.
Assuming we won all our home games, and picked at least 4 points away, all this nonesense done by southern african teams will mean nothing…..
I can not blame the politics played by CAF president and the southern african countries in LESOTHO, ZIMBABWE & SOUTH AFRICA….
it was well planned only for our clueless NFF to fall into their trap….
While our CLUELESS and braindead NFF were busy fighting for position and sharing formular of the money given to them by federal government and stakeholders including sponsors, MOTSEPE the caf president was busy plotting how his country South Africa can outsmart nigeria to the sole ticket…..
now motsepe’s tricks works perfectly….
let’s wait for 2030 ASAP…..
***SHALOM***
It like south Africa played all their matches with Zimbabwe and Lesotho were all at home except for against nigeria, benin and rwanda. Caf president just using his position to make sure south africa qualifies. I don’t blame them sha. NFFand the players messed us up.
The battle was long lost since Pinnick did not win the FIFA seat but very few knew the cost of his loss. Amaju would have cried foul even as NFF president but the gagantuan gaga in the NFF doesn’t know CAF and football politics.
In the build up to the 2018 WOW, Amaju Pinnick ensured we got friendly and favourable referees from CAF.
Enough said
Nff is indeed incompetent and inept. While fans knew right from the time the world cup fixures was announced that south Africa football association and caf were playing games and had arranged a fraudulent system that will favour south Africa none of the officials challenged this dubious process.
Lesotho will likely take our boys to that Rigby pitch for their match in south Africa. Nff will do anything untill our players are injured again.
I will call on state nff chairman as a matter of urgency pass a vote of no confidence in this inept and ncompetent board.
It’s like 2 away games turned home games for them and the stupid NFF watched SA host 2 Southern African teams at home…. How is this even legal? why them no carry Lesotho and Zimb go Algeria or Morocco or one of the other Stadia in other African countries…. Home advantage is crucial in such qualifiers, and this is fraud! The most useless NFF in the history of Nigerian football.
It’s just like Benin playing their home matches in Nigeria, cos their stadium was not approved. Imagine Lesotho practically donating 6 free points to SA, and Zimbabwe is set to do the same.
This kind of rubbish cannot happen in UEFA. If your home stadium is not approved, a group opponent simply cannot and should not host you. That’s ceahting!
Like you said, the match could have been taken to Kenya, Algeria, Morocco, Zambia, etc. Motsepe did this coup, and Gusau was spineless.