Ten-man Zimbabwe halt South Africa dreams in Durban draw

ByEnigma 808

Zimbabwe, down to 10 men, marched into Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday and slammed the brakes on South Africa’s World Cup dreams. Anyone calling this match a dead rubber clearly missed the memo. This derby dished out chaos: red cards, wild tackles, patches of slick play, and nerves for days, but not a single goal crossed the line.

South Africa chased a win, desperate to keep their ticket to the World Cup alive. Zimbabwe, already shut out of the 2026 race, used the game as a tune-up for the Africa Cup of Nations set for December. Bafana Bafana threw everything at Zimbabwe’s keeper, Washington Arubi, but he refused to break. Both teams rattled the post, with Zimbabwe nearly stealing it late.

The Warriors took a hit when the referee sent off ex-captain Knowledge Musona in the 63rd minute. Still, they dug in, even as South Africa lost a player in the dying moments. Zimbabwe clung to their first draw of the qualifiers, but that elusive win keeps slipping away. The Warriors stay nailed to the bottom of Group C on five points, while South Africa’s hopes took a body blow, falling two points behind Benin after they beat Rwanda.

Benin climbed to 17 points, South Africa sits at 15, and Nigeria lurks with 14 after dropping Lesotho. Zimbabwe meets Lesotho in Polokwane next, while Benin and Nigeria battle for the top as South Africa faces Rwanda.

Author

  • Enigma XO avatar (80x80)

    Besides writing and being a content creator, Enigma 808 sometimes likes to watch paint dry on walls, listening to ASMR while timing snails racing. Such is life.