Tapera In Major Warriors Shake Up For Crucial Bafana Bafana Match
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Interim Warriors coach Jairos Tapera has made wholesale changes to the starting 11 for the 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa at Free State Stadium later today.
The match kicks off at 6 PM CAT.
Tapera made six changes to the team that started in the 0-2 defeat to Lesotho at Orlando Stadium on Friday.
He has changed the formation to a 3-5-2 from the 4-3-3 structure that he used in the match against the Crocodiles.
Manica Diamonds goalkeeper Geoffrey Chitsumba has replaced Donovan Bernard who failed to deal with a Lesotho corner kick that resulted in the first goal.
Godknows Murwira, Walter Musona, Richard Hachiro, Munashe Garan’anga and Douglas Mapfumo have all been handed starting berths.
Here is the Warriors First XI
Geoffrey Chitsumba, Godknows Murwira, Gerald Takwara, Munashe Garan’anga, Divine Lunga, Walter Musona, Richard Hachiro, Andy Rinomhota, Marshal Munetsi, Douglas Mapfumo, Tawanda Chirewa.
South Africa picked up a point against Nigeria on Friday in Uyo and they will go into the game against the Warriors as the favourites.
However, the Warriors have a slight physical advantage given that Bafana Bafana travelled more than 9,000 km to and from Nigeria while the Zimbabwe squad was in South Africa during that period.
Zimbabwe anchors the table with two points while Benin, who beat Nigeria 2-1 on Monday night, lead the log standings with 7 points.
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