On Tuesday, September 9, Zimbabwe will host Rwanda in the 8th round of CAF World Cup 2026 qualifying. Here’s a look at the match and a prediction for the winner.
Key facts and head-to-head history
- Zimbabwe have won only 1 of their last 12 matches.
- Rwanda hasn’t won in their last 5 games.
- Neither team has qualified for the World Cup finals before.
- The first round of qualifying ended in a 0-0 draw between Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
- In their 4 official encounters, Zimbabwe leads with 2 wins to Rwanda’s 1.
Match preview
Zimbabwe is seen as a mid-table team in African football. The “Warriors” have qualified for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, finishing ahead of Kenya and Namibia. However, with just 4 points, Zimbabwe is at the bottom of their World Cup qualifying group and has no chance of advancing to the finals.
Recently, Zimbabwe lost 1-2 to Benin, ending their World Cup hopes. Prior to that, they drew with Nigeria (1-1) and Benin (2-2).
Rwanda has also struggled to find success in football. The “Wasps” did not qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, finishing their qualifying group with 8 points. Benin matched that score but qualified based on head-to-head results.
Despite this, Rwanda can still aim for second place in their World Cup qualifying group, but they need to beat Zimbabwe to do so. They currently have 8 points, trailing Benin by three points. In their last match, Rwanda lost 0-1 to Nigeria.
Probable line-ups
- Zimbabwe: Arubi, Divine — Kadede — Garananga — Emmanuel, Jordan — Knowledge — Nakamba, Kadewere — Tawanda — Maswanhise
- Rwanda: Fiacre, Claude — Manzi — Ange — Bonheur, Innocent, Kavita — Gilbert — Bizimana — Fitina, Hamon
Zimbabwe vs Rwanda prediction
With Zimbabwe already out of the competition and performing inconsistently, I predict the visitors will win this match.
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