Polokwane, South Africa — WARRIORS coach Michael Nees has challenged his charges to rise to the occasion and record their first win of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers campaign when they face Lesotho in the final fixture this evening.
The Cosafa rivals face off at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane at 6PM.
Both have dropped down the qualification equation, with Zimbabwe sitting at the base of Group C with five points, having gone for all nine matches they have played without posting a win.
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The Warriors will finish last even if they work out a formula to dismiss Lesotho. The Crocodiles, who are second from bottom, already have nine points.
That's no big deal for Nees, who inherited the team from Jairos Tapera with four games having already been played.
What the German gaffer wants to see now is a cohesive force that can salvage national pride and reassure the country that they will compete at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco in December-January.
Zimbabwe sent shockwaves across the football world when they forced a goalless draw against South Africa in Durban on Friday night with a polished show that almost saw them winning even after playing the better part of the second half with 10 men after the expulsion of Knowledge Musona.
And it is that same spirit that Nees wants to see from his Warriors when they play Lesotho, who beat them 0-2 in the reverse fixture at Orlando Stadium in June last year.
Both teams have played most of their home qualifiers in South Africa owing to a lack of Caf-commissioned grounds back in their respective homes, but these two countries still feel like home since they have significant diaspora communities stationed there.
Zimbabwe was home the last time out at Orlando Stadium, and Lesotho will be the hosts in the Limpopo Provincial capital this evening.
Nees knows it will not be an easy match but said: "I think if we can take the same spirit we had in the match against South Africa, we can manage to win against Lesotho.
"I have said before that every match is an opportunity for us to fine-tune for the Africa Cup of Nations, and this is one of those games.
"We need to win and have national pride somehow. These matches are also determined to rank national teams, so we are in it to win.
"My players have shown so much hunger in this final phase of qualification.
"Yes, we will not qualify for the World Cup at this juncture, even if we beat Lesotho, but the result will be very big for what we want to achieve.
"We played well against South Africa, even when we knew we were not going to qualify anymore.
"That competitive spirit helped us pick that point against South Africa.
"The same competitive spirit can help us win against Lesotho.
"There are no dead rubbers in international football. We will do our best to improve and win the match."
Nees could get to throw some of the players who have not had minutes in today's game, as he has since hinted every game is a chance for players to "recommend" themselves for a place at the Afcon.
Musona won't be part of the cast after that dismissal, and neither is Amazulu striker Thando Ngwenya, who has suffered a knock from a game in the South African Premiership.
"I have said before that this is a chance for players to also recommend themselves for the Afcon," added Nees.
"I am sure everyone is working hard, and I am happy all the players are showing a lot of hunger."
Zimbabwe and Nees have some sweet memories at Peter Mokaba, as this is the same arena where they sealed their Afcon qualification when they played a 1-1 draw against Kenya last year.
They won't seal a World Cup place with a win over Lesotho, but they will create even better memories with this iconic venue if they post their first victory in this campaign today.
They won't be short of fans either, as Zimbabweans in Polokwane, who almost packed the stadium in that game against Kenya, have promised to come in numbers.
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Zifa logistical partners Zororo-Phumulani have been conducting road shows, and yesterday also transported fans from Johannesburg and Pretoria to Polokwane for the game.
Speaking about the arrangement, Zororo-Phumulani spokesman Tendai Mangoti said: "Our partnership with Zifa has been good from Day One.
"We carry the Warriors when they are here in South Africa, always.
"As a Zimbabwean company based in South Africa, we have also devised a way to make sure the fans come and support the team. We did that in Durban against South Africa.
"We are also doing that here in Polokwane. We have transported fans from Gauteng, and we are giving them logistical support throughout their stay here.
"We have also been conducting road shows to make sure that the Warriors get support at the stadium."
Captain Marvelous Nakamba hailed Zororo-Phumulani, saying their hand has been crucial throughout.
