The Zimbabwe Senior Men’s National Team, the Warriors, will face Benin in their Matchday 5, 2026 Group C FIFA World Cup Qualifier at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa. The match is scheduled for Thursday, 20 March 2025, with a 6 PM kick-off time.
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has set the entrance fee for the Rest of the Ground at R50.
Originally, ZIFA had planned to host the fixture in Polokwane. However, after the venue was allocated to Bafana Bafana in January, alternative locations were considered. ZIFA said in a statement:
<blockquote>
Johannesburg’s approved stadiums were unavailable due to rugby and other events, while Cape Town Stadium is undergoing pitch renovations.
After an extensive search, Moses Mabhida Stadium emerged as the perfect venue – a world-class facility that has hosted top international matches and offers ideal conditions for our playing style.
ZIFA is excited to bring the Warriors closer to their passionate supporters in Durban and across the region.
</blockquote>
ZIFA urged all Zimbabwean football fans to come out in full force, fill the stands with yellow and green, and rally behind the team as they continue their pursuit of World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe currently sits at the bottom of Group C with just 2 points from four matches.
Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin each have 7 points, while Lesotho follows with 5 points. Nigeria has accumulated 3 points.

Pindula News

The Warriors, Zimbabwe's soccer team, will play Benin in a FIFA World Cup Qualifier at Moses Mabhida Stadium in South Africa. The match is on 20th March at 6 PM. The entrance fee is R50. The game was moved from Polokwane to Durban due to venue issues. ZIFA chose Moses Mabhida Stadium because it's a world-class facility. They want fans to come and support the team. The team needs to win to qualify for the World Cup.

Warriors To Face Benin In FIFA World Cup Qualifier At Moses Mabhida Stadium

The Warriors are likely to host the Super Eagles of Nigeria in Botswana or Mozambique for their 2026 World Cup home qualifier.
Zimbabwe will play the game slated for November 2023 outside the country after all local stadiums were condemned by the CAF.
ZIFA has until today, 08 September, to provide CAF with the venue they will use for the match against Nigeria.
Botswana has one facility approved by the continental football body, that is, the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown.
The ZIFA Normalisation Committee chairperson Lincoln Mutasa on Thursday told <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/sport/article/200016331/homeless-warriors-off-to-botswana">NewsDay</a> that they had “positive engagements” with Botswana Football Association officials. Said Mutasa:
<blockquote>
We have spoken with Botswana and they are agreeable to helping us. It’s quite near. I’m not sure if Beira (Mozambique) is available, we are still checking, but definitely, we have spoken to Botswana and the engagements have been positive.
</blockquote>
Mozambique also has one stadium approved by CAF, that is, the Estadio Nacional do Zimpeto in Maputo.
Zimbabwe are in Group C of the 2026 Fifa World Cup African qualifiers together with Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Rwanda and Lesotho.
The Warriors begin the 2026 World Cup qualifiers away in Rwanda on 13 November. A week later, the Warriors host the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Mutasa, however, is still hoping that Zimbabwe will be given a reprieve by CAF to host the match on home soil. He said:
<blockquote>
The letter from CAF says we are supposed to submit our choices by September 8, which is tomorrow (today). That is why we are enquiring whether the local stadiums would be ready.
They want the name of a stadium we are going to use so we can put a local stadium as well as another outside the country.
We have written to the SRC to try and see whether the National Sports Stadium will be ready.
If it won’t be, we are also looking at approaching the Harare and Bulawayo city councils to see whether Rufaro and Barbourfields will be ready.
If all of those stadiums are not ready, then we will have to go to a neighbouring country.
</blockquote>
The National Sports Stadium was condemned in 2019, Rufaro Stadium was closed in 2019 for renovations, while Barbourfields Stadium, which is being used for domestic matches, was also condemned by CAF several years ago.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Warriors Likely To Host Nigeria In Botswana Or Mozambique

Warriors midfielder Marshall Munetsi says Zimbabwe can qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being drawn in what he considers a “decent” group for the qualifiers.
Zimbabwe were drawn in Group C alongside Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Rwanda and Lesotho.
The nation which finished top of the group will automatically qualify for the tournament to be hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Munetsi, who plays for Stade Reims in France, and has been a vocal critic of the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) following Zimbabwe’s suspension by FIFA, was quoted by <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/sport/article/200014178/munetsi-confident-of-wc-qualification">NewsDay</a> as saying:
<blockquote>
The lifting of the ban is great for the nation, it is great for the players; it is something that has been going through our minds that we are unable to represent our country over things that could be sorted out just through discussion.
I am grateful to FIFA, SRC (Sports and Recreation Commission), and the minister (Kirsty Coventry).
It is something that gives us joy as players that now we can be able to fulfill our dreams; it’s every young player’s dream to play at the World Cup.
Hopefully, now we can have the good opportunity to fight for our place. The group that we have been placed in is a decent group.
I know that we can do well with the players that have been performing even outside our country at club level.
So I just pray that we now put our heads together towards achieving this dream of going on to represent our country at the World Cup.
Now that we have the normalisation committee that is there, we just hope they can do a good job in fulfilling all the requirements of our game even for our league to put us back on the international stage.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe has several players plying their trade in Europe among them Marvelous Nakamba, Tino Kadewere, Admiral Muskwe and Jordan Zemura.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Munetsi Says Zimbabwe Can Qualify For 2026 FIFA World Cup

England-based Warriors utility player, Jordan Zemura, said that he hopes Zimbabwe will qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The tournament will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America.
Speaking during an interview with The Daily Echo on Wednesday about the hopes of the African nations at the current FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the AFC Bournemouth defender said:
<blockquote>
They’re getting really close. Hopefully one day Zimbabwe, my team, my country, and my nation can hopefully join the elite forces up top. 2026, you might be reporting on me going to the World Cup, who knows!?
</blockquote>
Africa is being represented at the 2022 FIFA World Cup by Cameroon, Tunisia, Senegal, Morocco, and Ghana.
Senegal was the first African country to qualify for the knock-out stages this week.
Tunisia crashed out of the tournament at the group stage despite beating the holders France 1-0.
Morocco, Ghana and Cameroon still have realistic chances ahead of their last group games.
Meanwhile, Zemura (23), who was born in London to Zimbabwean parents, is one of the overseas players with Zimbabwean heritage that have been approached by ZIFA to represent the country.
Other young England-based footballers with Zimbabwean heritage include, Isaac Mabaya (18) of Liverpool, Leicester City striker Tawanda Maswanhise (20), 19-year-old Sunderland defender Ethan Kachosa, Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson (22), 18-year-old Michael Ndiweni of Newcastle, Leeds United graduate Jimiel Chikukwa (19), Brendan Galloway (26) of Plymouth Argyle, Andy Rinomhota (25) of Cardiff City, Admiral Muskwe (25) of Luton Town, and Wolves Academy forward Leon Chiwome (16). | <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/zemura-dreams-big-for-warriors/">The Herald</a>

Jordan Zemura Speaks About His 2026 World Cup Dream

Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) president Phillip Chiyangwa has revealed that his organisation was going to back the joint United States-Canada-Mexico bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Zifa will back the North American bid at the expense of fellow African country Morocco. Zimbabwe becomes the latest African country to snub Morocco after South Africa and Liberia.
This follows a visit by a delegation from North America which includes United bid managing director Jim Brown, Canadian Soccer Association president Steven Reed and outgoing Mexican Football Federation boss Decio de Maria. Said Chiyangwa,
<blockquote>We have consulted our Government. The Zimbabwe Government is warming to the United bid, and that will inform our vote accordingly. We had a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and I’m happy to say that the Zimbabwe Government is happy to support the United bid.</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/zim-settle-for-americans-in-2026-world-cup-battle-blow-for-morocco-as-zifa-sing-in-the-united-states-corner/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Herald</a>

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