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Khama Billiat, Zimbabwe, Mohau Nkota, South Africa, October 2025Backpage
Seth Willis

Coach insists former Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates stars 'don't want to go to Morocco as tourists' after Bafana Bafana and Zimbabwe clash in World Cup qualifier

The Warriors were determined to stop Hugo Broos' men from getting maximum points in the recent meeting. The COSAFA rivals met in Durban, but it was the visitors who came with hopes of getting maximum points to keep alive their hope of competing with the best in the world. The hosts had already been eliminated and stood no chance of making it to the summit.

  • Zimbabwe, October 2025Backpage

    Expand on the teaser text

    Prior to the fixture between South Africa and Zimbabwe, the latter had collected just four points from eight Group C matches, having drawn half of those and lost the other half. 

    It explains why Bafana Bafana, who had won the initial meeting 3-1, felt they had a big chance of completing a double.

    However, the determined Warriors managed to collect another point to hurt Mzansi's chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. 

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  • Teboho Mokoena and Andrew Rinomhota, Bafana Bafana vs ZimbabweBackpage

    Nees justifies Zimbabwe's display

    The Zimbabwe technical team was satisfied with the result, despite already being eliminated from the race for the global competition to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. 

    Michael Nees' men have, however, qualified for the 2025 AFCON that will be played in Morocco from late December.

    The tactician argues that it was the reason his men put up a decent display and were unlucky not to have won the game. 

    The squad has several former Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs stars like Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiat, Marshall Munetsi and Terrence Dzvukamanja, as well as current Mamelodi Sundowns defender Divine Lunga.

  • Michael Nees, Zimbabwe, December 2024Zimbabwe

    Zimbabwe want to make a statement in Morocco

    “I must admit, we could have done better, but actually, that’s what we need to expect from the team and what they expect from themselves,” he told the media. 

    “I want to say it again, we don’t want to go to Morocco and be tourists there.  We want to be there [in Marrakech] on New Year’s Eve [to compete], because the second round starts in the new year,

    “That is our ambition, our target, we’re working towards that. It’s not always a smooth ride; there are little ups and downs, but when you look at the long run, there is hope. I don’t think many teams today could have come to South Africa in a full house like this and get a draw," Nees continued. 

    "And we were there from the performance, from the attitude, and also from the skills, I’m satisfied."

  • What comes next?

    South Africa now hope Nigeria will beat Benin in their final Group C match, to qualify, of course, with a win against Rwanda.

    Zimbabwe have a game against Lesotho to continue their preparations for the 2025 AFCON.