Bafana Bafana will aim to reclaim the top spot in Group C of the CAF Fifa World Cup qualifiers when they face Zimbabwe at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday.
The team was leading the group with 17 points before being docked three for fielding ineligible Teboho Mokoena during their March clash against Lesotho.
The penalty saw South Africa drop to 14 points. The team is level with Benin but trailing on goal difference due to the forfeit.
With their final qualifier against Rwanda on October 14, victory over Zimbabwe is crucial if Bafana hope to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The group winner goes through automatically while the four best runners-up across nine groups will battle it out in a playoff for one final African slot.
Zimbabwe haven’t beaten Bafana Bafana since a friendly in 2013.
Since then, South Africa have won three and drawn one of their four meetings.
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