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2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier
Group G - Matchday 1
Zimbabwe vs South Africa
National Sports Stadium
Harare, Zimbabwe
Friday, 3 September 2021
Kick-off is at 15h00 CAT
South Africa will be away to Zimbabwe in their opening
2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier - Group G match on September 3.
Bafana Bafana defeated Senegal 5-4 on penalties following a 0-0 draw in the 2021 COSAFA Cup final in July this year and it remains their last match.
The result extended South Africa's unbeaten run to seven matches across all competitions having recorded six wins and one draw.
However, Bafana have won just one of their last five away matches, while the other four games ended in a defeat.
‘’I don’t like to predict that we will win or, that the score will be 2-1 or whatever but the only thing I want and hope is that we have a good result in Zimbabwe,’’ Hugo Broos, the South Africa head coach, said.
‘’A draw in Zimbabwe will be a good result; it will give us confidence for the next game [against Ghana]. Because losing especially with a heavy score will not do the players’ confidence any good.
"I hope we will draw and we take it from there. But we will try to win, I am not saying we are going for a draw,."
South Africa will be keen to improve their record against their Southern African rivals, Zimbabwe.
The two teams have met 15 times across all competitions and Zimbabwe have the upper hand in this rivalry.
Zimbabwe's Warriors have recorded seven victories compared to Bafana's six, while two matches ended in a stalemate.
The last time South Africa faced Zimbabwe away was on 15 November 2011.
The international friendly match ended in a 2-1 win in favour of Zimbabwe and it was played at the Rufaro Stadium in Harare.
Forty African teams have been drawn into ten groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches.
The winners of each group will advance to the third round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Head-to-Head
Matches - 15
Zimbabwe - 7
South Africa - 6
Draws - 2
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