Zimbabwe's Warriors ready to rattle Bafana Bafana in Marrakesh showdown

Mario Marinica was not in charge of Zimbabwe when the Warriors nearly put a spanner in the works for Bafana Bafana’s quest for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But the Romanian would know just how much his team loves to make things hard for their neighbours across the Limpopo.

Marinica would have been told of the pride Zimbabwe felt in stalling South Africa’s qualification for the global showpiece with that draw at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium in the penultimate match of the qualifiers. He will thus be hard-pressed to ensure the Warriors deliver yet another stellar showing, this time at the Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Zimbabwe and Bafana clash in a final Group B match in Marrakesh tonight, with a spot in the knockout phase at stake and with more pressure on the former to win.

Speaking at the pre-match media conference, Marinica was reluctant to read too much into the state South Africa are likely to be in following what Bafana felt was an unfair loss to Egypt due to refereeing decisions, which saw VAR award the North Africans a penalty they converted and then deny Hugo Broos’ men a similar spot-kick later.

“They probably have some mental challenges; it is part of football. We had it in a way against Egypt; we thought it was a clear VAR penalty,” he said.

Instead, he said the match will be more about either country looking to earn bragging rights for the region.

“The rivalry might even be taken too far. Everyone wants to win. No favouritism, fair play—both teams will give their best,” Marinica added.

The Warriors might well have a mental edge going into the match against a Bafana side still reeling from that ‘unfair’ defeat by the Pharaohs. While they were also beaten by the record African champions on Matchday 1, Zimbabwe went into this one on the back of a good showing, coming from behind to secure a draw against Angola.

Down 1-0 to a Gelson Dala goal, they equalised through striker Knowledge Musona. The former Kaizer Chiefs star is expected to be a key player tonight and would no doubt relish the chance to metaphorically bite the hand that once fed him.

“We hope we can win, and that’s part of the football entertainment. We can’t let emotions take over; sometimes it happens. It’s a football match, not a war, and we hope to be the best to win it,” he said.

Marinica will also hope that having a handful of players who ply their trade in the South African league gives them some advantage. Goalkeeper Washington Arubi, defender Devine Lunga, and attacker Daneil Msendane all earn their living in the Betway Premiership.

This will be the first meeting between the two countries at the AFCON finals, providing even more reason for either side to want to win the encounter.