Khawa Billiat looks set to bounce back into the Warriors squad ahead of the two World Cup 2026 qualifying matches against South Africa and Lesotho.
Coach Michael Nees, who is under pressure, is likely to stick to his tried and tested Warriors contingent led by captain Marvelous Nakamba, when he names his team today.
But it is Billiat, who was left out in the last games against Benin and Rwanda, making a possible appearance along with Knowledge Musona to create a massive showdown with South Africa on October 10.
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This is despite the fact that Zimbabwe have nothing much to play for in the qualifiers apart from national pride and building combinations as part of their preparations for the upcoming AFCON 2025 finals to be hosted in Morocco this December.
The Warriors crashed out of the race for the sole World Cup ticket in Group C that took a different shape yesterday after FIFA docked points from leaders South Africa for using an ineligible player.
The Warriors, who are winless in the group, will be looking to get a consolation victory when they "host" Bafana Bafana at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on October 10, before rounding off the campaign against Lesotho three days later at a venue to be announced.
And a Warriors victory will derail the South African campaign.
Ahead of the squad announcement by Nees, FIFA yesterday dropped a bombshell on Zimbabwe's next opponents South Africa after the FIFA Disciplinary Committee ordered Bafana Bafana to forfeit the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier against Lesotho on a 0-3 scoreline.
The decision was reached after the South African Football Association (SAFA) were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player Tebogo Mokoena in their 2-0 win over Lesotho earlier this year.
According to the ruling from FIFA yesterday, SAFA were also ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10 000 ($12,538.63) to the world football governing body for breaching article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) and article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations.
SAFA have 10 days to appeal the ruling to the FIFA Appeals Committee.
A statement from FIFA read: "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for having fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the South Africa v. Lesotho match played on 21 March 2025 in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ preliminary competition, there-by breaching article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) and article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Preliminary Competition Regulations.
"Consequently, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has declared the match in question to have been forfeited by the representative team of South Africa by a score of 3-0.
"SAFA has also been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 ($12,538.63) to FIFA, while Teboho Mokoena has been issued with a warning.
"The parties were notified of the terms of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee's decision today. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the FDC, they have ten days in which to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, would subsequently be published on legal.fifa.com. The forfeiture decision remains subject to a potential appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee."
Mokoena had accumulated two yellow cards in the previous qualifying games (against Benin in November 2023 and against Zimbabwe in June 2024) and, therefore, should have been ineligible for South Africa's game against Lesotho.
However, the 28-year-old played 82 minutes of the 2-0 victory at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
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FIFA's decision is subject to an appeal which must be filed within 10 days. It means that, for now, South Africa drop from first to second in CAF Group C, with Benin overtaking them on goal difference.
Both teams now have 14 points. Nigeria are third on 11 points, followed by Rwanda also on 11 points. Lesotho will move to nine points while Zimbabwe anchor the table with four points.
Only the Group winners from the nine groups will automatically qualify to next year's World Cup to be held in USA and Mexico, while the four best second-placed finishers are set to get a second bite of the cherry by entering a play-off round, with only one additional nation securing a place at the tournament. Lesotho on the other hand are also likely to host Zimbabwe in South Africa as both countries do not have homologated stadiums to play international matches. They have often used South Africa as an alternative home.
