On Friday, during matchday three at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Zimbabwe lost 2-0 against Lesotho, their first loss of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers Group C campaign.
Leading up to the game, the Warriors fielded a formidable starting lineup that included Tawanda Chirewa, a young player for the Wolves who was playing for his first international team.
Zimbabwe got out to a strong start in the game, setting the early pace but failing to produce any significant chances at goal in the first fifteen minutes.
Conversely, Lesotho played defensively and depended heavily on counterattacks. When they were awarded the game’s first corner kick in the twenty-first minute, their tactics had paid off. From the set piece, Rethabile Rasethuntsa scored the first goal. 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
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Lesotho counterattacked again ten minutes later, and Jane Thabantso completed the play, increasing their lead.
The Warriors made an effort to reply, but Chirewa was blocked by the foliage. They launched multiple attacks, but they trailed into the break.
Lesotho kept playing deep in the second half in an effort to hold onto their lead. After the restart, Zimbabwe struggled to get into a rhythm and took some time to relax. This continued till the hour mark.
The Warriors attacked again and again, but in vain. When Tymon Machope, a substitute, attempted an overhead kick late in the game, it struck the bar, once more being denied by the woodwork.
Lesotho achieved their first victory in the World Cup Qualifiers in more than ten years when the game came to a close without any further goals.
As a result, Lesotho rises to the top of Group C with five points, temporarily displacing Zimbabwe to the bottom with two points.
