Munetsi To Feature At Moses Mabhida Stadium For Zimbabwe World Cup Qualifier
Wolves’ new signing, Marshall Munetsi, will play at the Moses Mabhida Stadium next month after the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) confirmed their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Benin will be held there.
The match will take place on 20 March at the 2010 FIFA World Cup venue in Durban, having been moved from Polokwane’s Peter Mokaba Stadium. The change of venue was necessary because Bafana Bafana will host Lesotho at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on 17 March and the venue is still recovering its surface due to the music concert in December.
Zimbabwe is among 17 African member associations currently barred from hosting matches due to inadequate facilities. Lesotho, similarly, has been playing its World Cup qualifiers in South Africa, a neighboring country, along with Namibia.
South Africa is benefiting from its investment in world-class stadiums built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Since the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Zimbabwe has played two matches in South Africa and one in Rwanda. They drew with Nigeria in Rwanda and lost to Lesotho at Orlando Stadium.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is delighted to announce that the Zimbabwe Senior Men’s National Team, the Warriors, will play their Matchday 5, Group C, FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Benin at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa,” ZIFA said in a statement.
ZIFA’s confirmation means Munetsi, who joined Wolves in the January transfer window from French club Reims, will play at the iconic venue. Munetsi, a former Orlando Pirates player, nearly scored for Wolves against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, but his one-on-one effort was saved by goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Playing in South Africa is advantageous for Zimbabwe, as several of their players are based there or have previously played in the country, making it familiar territory.
However, Zimbabwe currently sits at the bottom of Group C with two points after four matches. They are winless in their last ten World Cup qualifiers, having drawn five and lost five. Their last victory was against Somalia in September 2019.
