Warriors Face Road Challenges in 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Written by Skyz Metro FM on August 13, 2025
By Andile Vundla
13 August 2025
The Zimbabwe senior men’s national football team, the Warriors, is set to face Benin and Rwanda in crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, but will do so away from home turf.
The Warriors will travel to Ivory Coast to take on Benin on Friday 5 September 2025. The match, which is Matchday 7 of the qualifiers, will be played at the Alassane Ouattara Ebimpé Olympic Stadium and is scheduled for 5pm kickoff.
This arrangement comes as Benin does not have a CAF-approved stadium for senior national team matches. Zimbabwe’s own stadium woes mean they will not be able to host Rwanda at home.
Instead, the Warriors will ‘host’ their Matchday 8 fixture at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday 9 September 2025 with Kick-off iset for 3 p.m.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has only approved Zimbabwe’s National Sports Stadium for U17 and U23 qualifiers, as well as the CAF Champions League preliminary round, forcing the senior national team to play its home games in neighboring countries.
Skyz Metro FM