Zimbabwe forced to seek new venue for World Cup qualifier against South Africa after Francistown setback

Zimbabwe’s hopes of staging their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against South Africa in Francistown have been dealt a blow after the Botswana Football Association (BFA) confirmed the Francistown Sports Complex is unavailable.

The venue will host Botswana’s own qualifier against Uganda on 9 October, a day before the scheduled Warriors–Bafana Bafana clash, breaching FIFA’s requirement for visiting teams to have access to a match venue the day before a fixture.

The setback leaves Zimbabwe weighing up a move across the border, with Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg and Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium emerging as front-runners.

Both arenas have previously served as temporary ‘home’ venues when Zimbabwean facilities fell short of international standards.

Weekend reports indicated Moses Mabhida as the preferred option, but the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) has yet to confirm, with the final decision still pending.

Zifa has criticised the BFA for announcing the development prematurely. Spokesperson Mike Madoda stated: “It is Zifa’s prerogative to pick a venue that suits our interests.

“Zimbabwe will always make decisions that are in the interests of the Warriors and Zimbabwean football.” He also dismissed rumours of financial inducements, stressing that venue selection is handled with integrity.

While off-field disputes highlight regional tensions, the footballing context is stark. Zimbabwe’s campaign is already over, bottom of Group C with four points from eight matches, while South Africa sit top with 17 under coach Hugo Broos.

Yet captain Knowledge Musona insists pride is at stake: “We may not have lived up to our hopes in the tournament, but we want to ensure we leave everything on the pitch against South Africa.”