South Africa will play host to Zimbabwe in the upcoming round of World Cup qualifiers. The game is scheduled for Tuesday, 11 June.
Will South Africa win the match as expected or will Zimbabwe manage to surprise them? Read our South Africa vs Zimbabwe prediction to learn more about this game.
Contents
South Africa vs Zimbabwe prediction: Both teams to score in a win for the hosts
Key Stats
- South Africa enter this match after finishing third at AFCON earlier this year.
- Zimbabwe have been without a win for eight games in a row, if we don't count their win in a friendly match with Zambia on penalties.
- Both teams have scored in three of the previous five meetings between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
- We saw both teams score in four of the last five South Africa matches and three of the last four Zimbabwe games across the board.
Pre-game odds and win probability: South Africa favoured by the bookies
- HOME: 12/25 (1.48) – 67.60%
- DRAW: 7/2 (4.50) – 22.20%
- AWAY: 15/2 (8.50) – 11.80%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Looking at these South Africa vs Zimbabwe odds, it's clear that the hosts are the expected winners in this duel, which is hardly a surprise given that South Africa are a much better team than Zimbabwe on paper.
Furthermore, Zimbabwe have struggled to get any wins recently, while South Africa had one of their best-ever campaigns at the African Cup of Nations at the start of the year.
Meanwhile, if you liked our tips for this match, remember to take a look at our latest betting tips for today too.
Last five H2Hs: A close matchup lately
Both South Africa and Zimbabwe have won twice in their last five H2H meetings, with one of the matches ending in a draw.
The situation is quite similar when it comes to their overall H2H record, though South Africa have a small advantage: 7-2-6.
South Africa preview: Hoping to end their winless streak
While South Africa have failed to win in their last three games in a row, they are also without a loss in those matches since they've all ended in draws, including a massive game with Nigeria a few days ago.
Right now, South Africa are fourth in their group of WC qualifiers with four points from three games, but Benin, the team at the top of the standings, are just three points ahead while South Africa have a game in hand.
Predicted lineup: Williams (GK), Mobbie, Mvala, Ngezana, Modiba, Mokoena, Sithole, Tau, Zwane, Appollis & Rayners
African Nations C'ship Qualifying 03/05/25
L
Malawi
1
South Africa
0
Africa - World Cup Qualifying 25/03/25
W
Benin
0
South Africa
2
Africa - World Cup Qualifying 21/03/25
W
Lesotho
0
South Africa
2
African Nations C'ship Qualifying 02/03/25
D
Egypt
1
South Africa
1
Africa Cup of Nations Qualification 19/11/24
W
South Sudan
0
South Africa
3
Zimbabwe preview: Looking for their first win in the qualifiers
In the last 15 games they've played, Zimbabwe only have two wins, one of which came in a friendly game and after penalties.
They are currently last in the standings in their WC qualifiers group with two draws and a loss, but given how close this group is, they still have some reason to hope of reaching the next stage, although that is quite improbable already.
Predicted lineup: Donovan (GK), Mbeba, Hadebe, Takwara, Lunga, Rinomhota, Machope, Munetsi, Musona, Kadewere & Msendami
Africa - World Cup Qualifying 25/03/25
D
Nigeria
1
Zimbabwe
1
Africa - World Cup Qualifying 20/03/25
D
Benin
2
Zimbabwe
2
Africa Cup of Nations Qualification 19/11/24
L
Cameroon
2
Zimbabwe
1
Africa Cup of Nations Qualification 15/11/24
D
Kenya
1
Zimbabwe
1
Africa Cup of Nations Qualification 14/10/24
W
Namibia
1
Zimbabwe
3
Player to watch: Percy Tau
With 16 goals in 50 appearances for South Africa, Tau is the team's top scorer at the moment and he'll be hoping to improve his tally against Zimbabwe.
Will Tau score again in the WC qualifiers?
So far, Tau has only managed to score one goal in three games in the WC qualifiers. Will he be able to find the net against Zimbabwe?