A former PSL and Zimbabwe star has accused SAFA of playing mind games by hosting their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Bloemfontein instead of Johannesburg.
Zimbabwe and South Africa will face off in an all-important qualifier on Tuesday evening at Bloemfontein Stadium, with a victory for the latter set to take them level on points with current Group C leaders Benin.
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The Warriors, meanwhile, are currently bottom of the group with just two points from three games played so far.
With the fixture expected to be potentially decisive in the two countries' respective hopes of qualifying for the next World Cup, a former Zimbabwe player has now bemoaned the fact that SAFA decided to stage the match in Mangaung rather than in Johannesburg, claiming this is a strategic decision to prevent a high volume of Zimbabwean fans being in attendance for the tie.
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According to Soccer24, former Ajax Cape Town and Orlando Pirates star Edelbert Dinha said: "These are mind games because if they had decided to play the match at Orlando Stadium or Johannesburg Stadium, Zimbabweans would fill up the whole stadium.
"Taking it to Bloemfontein, I don't know but we shall see.
"It's a match that everyone has been waiting for. Even the players that I have talked with say it's the game they want to play.
"They don't want to prove a point, but it's a game that excites them."
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The last time the two sides met was in November 2021 at FNB Stadium, with Teboho Mokoena's header being the only thing to separate them as the hosts walked away with a 1-0 win.
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