The Zimbabwe national football team, the Warriors, continued their poor run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They suffered a 3-1 defeat to South Africa at the Free State Stadium.
The Warriors aimed for their first three points but were undone by two defensive lapses. Thapelo Morena scored a second-half brace, ensuring Zimbabwe’s second consecutive defeat and keeping them at the bottom of Group C.
Early in the match, Iqraam Rayners and Tawanda Chirewa scored within minutes of each other. Warriors coach Jairos Tapera made bold decisions, benching Italian Serie A player Jordan Zemura and French Ligue 1 player Tino Kadewere. He also replaced Donovan Bernard with novice Godfrey Chitsumba, which proved costly as Chitsumba was responsible for the second goal.
For a brief period, Tapera’s decisions seemed effective. However, following the defeat, he faces many questions. His contract with Zifa expired after the match, and his future remains uncertain. The result significantly damaged his chances of a return, whether temporary or permanent.
“I’m very disappointed again. Last week, we lost with almost the same mistakes as today. We conceded from silly mistakes. We equalized and thought we stabilized everything in the first half,” Tapera said. “But we made mistakes for the second and third goals. If you are not organized at the back, the opposition will take advantage. Individually, we had positives. Going forward, we can correct some things.”
The match started frantically, with two goals scored in the first two minutes. South Africa capitalized on a mistake by Munashe Garan’anga, allowing Rayners to slot the ball past Chitsumba. The Warriors quickly regrouped, with Wolves forward Tawanda Charewa equalizing through individual brilliance.
Charewa controlled a throw-in from Marshall Munetsi and toe-poked home, sparking jubilation among Warriors fans. Both teams continued to create chances, with Charewa narrowly missing another opportunity.
Questions arose about why Tapera didn’t make changes after the Warriors fell behind in the second half. Zimbabwe is now five points off the pace, winless alongside Nigeria in the group.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos was pleased with the result. “I’m very happy with the result. We led too soon, and when it became 1-1, my boys were shaken. We played too much in the center and didn’t use the wings. Zimbabwe was dangerous in transition,” Broos said. “In the second half, we corrected some things and saw a much better South Africa. We had many chances even in the first half, so after 90 minutes, we deserved this victory.”
Source: Newsday
