An African nation is reportedly planning to host their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg.
It’s not uncommon for national teams to use venues outside their home country for official international games.
This has been a regular trend in the Southern African region, with nations such as Eswatini, Namibia, and Madagascar opting for alternative venues due to their stadiums not meeting FIFA and CAF regulations.
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Zimbabwe are among the countries without a CAF and FIFA-approved venue for senior international matches, and over the years, they have consistently used South African stadiums.
According to Soccer24, the Zimbabwe national team are once again planning to use Orlando Stadium for their home fixtures in the World Cup qualifiers.
Zimbabwe are scheduled to play two home qualifiers — against Rwanda in September and Bafana Bafana in October.
The Warriors’ previous World Cup qualifier in March, against Benin, was also played in South Africa, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Notably, it is also reported that CAF recently granted Zimbabwe’s National Sports Stadium in Harare special approval to host Category 2 international matches, which includes CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup fixtures.
Images from Gallo
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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