The Botswana Football Association (BFA) has negated claims that their senior national team, the Zebras, will face Zimbabwe’s Warriors in a friendly match at Harare’s National Sports Stadium this Saturday.
Earlier, the ZIFA Normalisation Committee, Zimbabwe’s football regulatory body, proclaimed they were set to host Botswana. They also hinted at featuring several of the Warriors’ internationally-based players for the game.
Yet, BFA’s CEO, Mfolo Mfolo, debunked these assertions. Instead, BFA has announced a friendly match against Eswatini on Monday at the Lobatse Sports Complex. This contest serves as a warm-up for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers slated for next month.
“We haven’t agreed to any match with Zimbabwe,” Mfolo confirmed to the Botswana daily, Mmegi Sport.
Interestingly, Kennedy Ndebele, CEO of the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League, had previously informed clubs about a match postponement this weekend in anticipation of the Zebras versus Warriors game.
The two teams did face off during Botswana’s Independence Day festivities on September 30, with the home team clinching victory in a penalty shoot-out.
It’s worth noting that this match was Zimbabwe’s comeback to international football after a near two-year ban imposed by FIFA.
Given BFA’s latest revelation, the ZIFA Normalisation Committee now faces the challenge of hastily arranging a friendly for the Warriors as they prep for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
