Plans by Zimbabwe to play  their 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in Botswana has  been reversed.

Now, the Zimbabwe Football authorities have return to their initial plan of playing their home match against the Group C leaders South Africa at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Monday, October 6,

According to wire reports, the change comes after Zimbabwe initially preferred hosting the match in Botswana but with the Zebras scheduled to play their own qualifier against Uganda on the same day, the southern neighbors had no choice but to revert to the originally planned South African venue.

The decision offers a boost to Bafana Bafana, who will now play their “away” match in familiar surroundings, potentially easing some of the pressure ahead of the crucial fixture.

South Africa, lead Group C with 17 points, three clear of second-placed Benin Republic. They however risk three points deduction for fielding ineligible midfielder Teboho Mokoena in their clash with Lesotho.

Mokoena received two yellow cards leading up to South Africa’s 2-0 victory against Lesotho in March, prompting FIFA to open an investigation.

Should South Africa be found guilty, the team risk three points deduction and a 3-0 loss applied as punishment. 

Despite this looming issue, Head Coach Hugo Broos’ side remain in control of their destiny, with the final two rounds of qualifiers set to determine their return to the World Cup stage for the first time since 2002.

Zimbabwe, struggling in the group with just four points, and Nigeria, third on 11 points after an underwhelming campaign, now face the daunting task of contending with a Bafana side determined to secure qualification amid the ongoing investigation.

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