Zimbabwe’s hopes of creating a neutral “home” advantage in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against South Africa have been dealt a blow after the Botswana Football Association (BFA) rejected their request to use the Francistown Sports Complex.

The Warriors, who have played all their qualifiers in South Africa due to the unavailability of FIFA-approved stadiums back home, had targeted the Botswana venue to avoid giving Bafana Bafana an effective home game.

However, the BFA cited scheduling conflicts. Francistown is set to host Botswana’s own World Cup qualifier against Uganda on October 9, just one day before the planned Zimbabwe–South Africa fixture. FIFA regulations stipulate that visiting teams must have access to the match venue a day in advance, making Zimbabwe’s request unworkable.

Likely Return to South Africa

The setback means Zimbabwe may once again be forced to stage their “home” match in South Africa, likely at either Orlando Stadium (Johannesburg) or Moses Mabhida Stadium (Durban)—grounds they’ve used in previous campaigns. Reports suggest Moses Mabhida is the leading option, though no final decision has been announced by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA).

ZIFA spokesperson Mike Madoda criticized the BFA’s public rejection as premature, insisting venue selection is a sovereign process:

> “It is ZIFA’s prerogative to pick a venue that suits our interests. Zimbabwe will always make decisions that are in the interests of the Warriors and Zimbabwean football,” he stated, dismissing rumors of financial inducements as “baseless.”

Group C Picture

With South Africa topping Group C on 17 points, followed by Benin (14) and Nigeria (11), Zimbabwe sits bottom with just four points from eight matches—already out of World Cup contention. The dispute over the match venue only reinforces the uphill task for the Warriors as they face a high-flying Bafana side.