Zimbabwe vs Bafana Bafana: Preview, team news, where to watch and predicted lineup

Published on by

Bafana Bafana have their work cut out as they return to action looking to secure a World Cup ticket for the first time since 2010.

South Africa have not qualified for the World Cup since the 2002 edition and only played the 2010 tournaments because they were the host country.

That is a wait of 23 years and coach Hugo Broos is seeking to be the man to end the long drought with a tricky match against Zimbabwe at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Friday.

Zimbabwe are the home team but hosting the match in South Africa, due to lack of an approved stadium back home, giving Bafana Bafana an advantage somewhat. 

South Africa also head into the match wounded after FIFA docked them three points for fielding midfielder Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho in March when he was suspended for the game.

That saw them tumble from top position in Group C with 17 points to second on 14, level with Benin, who have a superior goal difference of +1.

Broos’ team must therefore beat both Zimbabwe and Rwanda while hoping that they can outscore Benin or that the Squirrels drop points for South Africa to qualify directly for the World Cup.

Form guide

Bafana training

Bafana Bafana are unbeaten in their last 16 games, including the 2-0 win over Lesotho, that landed them in trouble but lost their second World Cup qualifier after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Rwanda in November 2023.

Since then, it has been five wins for South Africa in eight World Cup qualifiers with two draws, both against Nigeria, although on paper, it says four victories after their away game to Lesotho was awarded to their neighbours due to the Mokoena saga.

They beat Lesotho 3-0 before a 1-1 draw with Nigeria in the last qualifiers in October but will be confident of winning both upcoming matches.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe are bottom of the six-team log with four points with no wins as well as four draws and two losses, both of them in October, when they were beaten by an identical score of 1-0 by Benin and Rwanda.

Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat will be crucial for Zimbabwe against South Africa

Head-to-Head record

Bafana Bafana have dominated their neighbours in recent years with three straight wins, including the corresponding fixture when they won 3-1, but Zimbabwe will still be confident as they had won back-to-back games against South Africa between November 2011 and September 2013.

Overall, the two teams have faced off 11 times since their first meeting in 2000 with South Africa winning seven to Zimbabwe’s three while one ended in a draw.

Team news

Mduduzi Shabalala. Photo Kaizer Chiefs

Bafana Bafana will miss key players like Themba Zwane, Iqraam Rayners and Relebohile Mofokeng who are nursing injuries but have number of fearless youngsters in the squad such as Malibongwe Khoza, Mduduzi Shabalala and Mohau Nkota who should add something different to the team.

What have the two coaches said?

Hugo Broos – South Africa

IMG 1670
Image – Safa

“We deserve to go to the FIFA World Cup. There are no doubts, there have never been any doubts from my side, and I will try to transfer this to the players at a meeting.

“I believe in this group, and I am sure that they will do everything in their power to win that game on Friday. Why should we doubt ourselves now after our performances in the qualifiers? If there is a team that deserves to go to the World Cup, it is South Africa.”

Michel Nees – Zimbabwe

FIFAWCQ: Super Eagles rival gets new coach ahead of qualifiers

“The boys are motivated and working hard. We know what’s at stake and are confident that we can perfect our strategies before kickoff. Every team we face will meet a Zimbabwe side ready to fight. We’ve analysed our past games, learned from our mistakes, and are coming back stronger.”

Time and where to watch

The match will kick off at 18:00 at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban and will be live on SABC and SuperSport TV.

Bafana Bafana predicted lineup

Bafana Bafana vs Super Eagles
Image – SABC

Williams; Mudau, Modiba, Mbokazi, Ndamane; Sithole, Mokoena, Mbule; Nkota, Appollia, Foster

<!-- Author Start -->Joel Oliver<!-- Author End -->

Joel Oliver

Author

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.
His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.