Orlando Stadium To Host Zimbabwe, Algeria AFCON Qualifier

Zimbabwe will host their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against Algeria at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

The Group H encounter slated for March 31, 2020 was initially to be staged in Harare, but due to the stadiums’ ban in the country, the organisers were forced to move it to South Africa.

Zimbabwean FA had written to Confederation of African Football (CAF) seeking for re-inspection of the facilities, but the body demanded that the national association submits the foreign venue.

Gay Mokoena, the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), told reporters in Johannesburg on Wednesday that Zimbabwe had settled for Orlando Stadium.

“The Zimbabweans requested us to assist them to arrange for the game here. We were looking at Dobsonville but they are settling for Orlando Stadium,” said Mokoena.

Zimbabwe’s senior team, the Warriors, drew 0-0 draw at home against Botswana before beating Zambia 2-1 away in Lusaka in the group H campaign of for the 2021 AFCON finals in Cameroon.

Algeria leads the pool with six points, while Zimbabwe has four points. The best two teams from each group will qualify for the 2021 AFCON.

Zimbabwe is expected to travel to Algiers for the first leg of the match against Algeria on March 23. They will then fly to South Africa and host their rivals in Soweto three days later.