Contrary to earlier reports, Zimbabwe have confirmed that they will host their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying home match against Bafana Bafana in South Africa.
The venue for Zimbabwe’s upcoming World Cup qualifier against South Africa had been the subject of speculation in recent weeks.
Many were watching closely, as fellow Group C World Cup hopefuls Benin and Nigeria reportedly wanted to know where the Zimbabwe versus Bafana match would take place.
Zimbabwe generally hosts their home games in South Africa due to not having a CAF- and FIFA-approved stadium for international fixtures.
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However, the Zimbabwe Football Federation (ZIFA) is understood to have explored alternative venues outside South Africa to avoid giving Bafana a de facto home advantage.
ZIFA reportedly attempted to move the match to Botswana, but their efforts were unsuccessful after discovering that the Botswana national team would play at the same venue, Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown, the day before.
As a result, ZIFA were left with two options: Orlando Stadium or Moses Mabhida Stadium.
ZIFA has now announced that the fixture will be played at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Friday, 10 October at 3pm.
ZIFA Confirms that the Warriors will face Bafana Bafana on Matchday 9 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban.
This could serve as a blow to Benin and Nigeria, who are hoping that Group C leaders Bafana will slip up in the qualifiers with just two matches left.