South Africa’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup in 2026 took a big hit as they were frustrated by Zimbabwe at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Bafana Bafana had been touted as the favourites to qualify automatically from Group C, but after a three-point deduction was handed to them by FIFA for fielding a suspended player, Teboho Mokoena, against Lesotho back in March, it thrust them back in the mix of a tight group of hopefuls.
They needed to beat basement boys Zimbabwe and Rwanda to keep the pressure on, but with results elsewhere not going in their favour, Hugo Broos’ side are lying in second place with just one game to go, after Nigeria piled on the pressure by beating Lesotho, and Benin defeated Rwanda.
The group winners will progress to Canada, Mexico, and the United States automatically, while the runners-up move into a mini-league to earn a place in the inter-federation play-offs.
They found home goalkeeper Washington Arubi in inspired form, as he kept out Sipho Mbule from range a handful of times, while Mohau Nkota and Burnley’s Lyle Foster both cracked efforts against the woodwork.
Frustrations boiled over for both sides as the hosts saw Knowledge Musona dismissed for two yellow cards, before central defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi was sent off late in second-half stoppage time for losing his head.
Oswin Appollis was bright off the left for the South Africans, but he faded as the game wore on, much like their World Cup qualification hopes.
