Zimbabwe head coach Michael Nees has said that their World Cup qualifying game against South Africa is a very important one, assuring the likes of Nigeria and Benin Republic that his side will approach the game with full commitment and professionalism.
This is despite the fact that Zimbabwe is already out of contention for qualification.
The Warriors of Zimbabwe sit bottom of Group C with four points.
Their next game is against South Africa at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday.
Nees listed several reasons his team must defeat or give their neighbours good fight to include pride and to uphold the integrity of the competition
He said his team will not be accused of killing the qualification hopes of other teams, including Nigeria and Benin.
Speaking with Gagasi FM, ahead of the game, Nees said, “For South Africa maybe but for us it is the same. For us, It’s very important. It is a match which counts in the league table for the FIFA ranking,” he said.
“In terms of psychological meaning for the AFCON because we play again and it’s a derby.
“And on top of that four teams can qualify for the World Cup, the last thing you want to be accused of is somehow not giving your best.
“We discuss that in length within the association, we have our responsibility is to be first sportsman and give everything that we have and to come out with our head held high.”
The Zimbabwe coach also praised South Africa’s progress under their current setup, noting that Bafana Bafana’s consistency since the 2023 AFCON has made them one of the strongest teams on the continent.
South Africa must beat Zimbabwe and Rwanda to stand a chance to book a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
