World Cup
World Cup Qualifier: Bafana Smiling as Zimbabwe’s Botswana Plan Backfires
Bafana Bafana fans will be grinning from ear to ear after Zimbabwe’s dream of taking their “home” clash to Botswana went up in smoke.
“Warriors Stumble Into Bafana’s Backyard”, they seem to be feeling.
The Warriors had been plotting to host South Africa in Francistown on 10 October, but the Botswana Football Association (BFA) slammed the brakes on the idea.
With Botswana scheduled to face Uganda at the same venue a day earlier, FIFA rules made it a non-starter — no back-to-back matches, no excuses.
For Zimbabwe, it’s another embarrassing stumble off the pitch to go with their struggles on it. For South Africa, it’s a bonus: the “away” game will now most likely be staged right here on home turf.
Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg and Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium are suddenly in the frame, both tried-and-tested homes for Zimbabwe when their own facilities have failed to make the cut.
Weekend whispers had Durban as ZIFA’s preferred venue, but South Africans aren’t complaining whichever way it goes. Why travel to Botswana when Bafana can enjoy familiar grounds, bigger crowds, and the roar of home support in their so-called “away” fixture?
ZIFA have been left fuming, accusing the BFA of jumping the gun with their announcement. But in truth, the Warriors don’t have much to shout about. Their World Cup campaign is already over — four points from eight games, rock bottom of Group C, and not a single win in sight.
By contrast, Bafana are cruising. Hugo Broos has turned his men into table-toppers with 17 points, just one step away from punching their ticket to the 2026 finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Zimbabwe captain Knowledge Musona has tried to rally the troops with fighting talk about “playing for pride.” But with their campaign dead and buried, the Warriors are reduced to playing spoilers in South Africa’s coronation march.
For Bafana fans, the irony is sweet: the neighbours wanted Botswana, but in the end, they’ll be forced to host us in our own backyard. Advantage Bafana.
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With the World Cup already set to expand to 48 teams next summer, FIFA is considering an even bigger expansion to 64 countries for the 100th anniversary of the global spectacle in 2030.
With the idea receiving mixed reviews, FIFA leaders met with the heads of state from Uruguay and Paraguay in New York, as well as leaders from South America’s CONMEBOL and the head of Argentina’s football association.
“We want to call for unity, creativity, and believing big,” CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez said in a social media post. “Because when football is shared by everyone, the celebration is truly global.”
The Uruguayan Football Association first presented the 64-team plan in March, according to the New York Times. The first World Cup took place in Uruguay in 1930. Among the primary concerns is that an expanded World Cup would require 128 matches, further straining the sport’s busy global calendar.
If the 64-team plan is approved, the World Cup would then be expected to return to 48 teams in 2034.
The first 48-team World Cup will take place primarily in the United States in 2026, with Mexico and Canada playing host to select games. The last time the tournament was in the United States was in 1994 when it was a 24-team gathering.
The field expanded to 32 teams in 1998 and has remained that way through the past seven tournaments, through the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that was won by Argentina.
The 2030 World Cup not only could have its most number of teams ever, it is already set to be played on three continents and in six different countries.
Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina each will play host to one game at the start of the tournament. The majority of 2030 games then will be split among Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
FIFA has not yet made a decision about expanding the 2030 event to 64 teams.
“As we get closer to the date, we must reiterate that this cannot be just another event, it cannot be just another World Cup,” Dominguez said. “We believe this is a once-in-a-century opportunity.”
-Reuters
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- Summary
- Trump says he hopes ‘countless’ people will attend sport events
- Visa applicants face longer waits and fees
- Travel to US has declined this year
U.S. President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that he hopes “countless people from all over the globe” will attend the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics hosted by the United States.
Overseas travel to the U.S. fell 2.9% year-on-year in August to about 3.5 million visitors, according to preliminary U.S. government data. It was the sixth month this year that travel declined from a year ago, bucking the global tourism trend and defying expectations that in 2025 annual inbound visitors would finally surpass the pre-pandemic level of 79.4 million.
In a wide-ranging speech, Trump said next year the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence. “We will also be proudly hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and shortly thereafter, the 2028 Olympics,” he said.
“It’s going to be very exciting. I hope you all come. I hope that countless people from all over the globe will take part.”
More than 1.5 million ticket applications from fans in 210 countries were received by FIFA for the World Cup within 24 hours of the presale draw, the governing body of world soccer said earlier this month. The 48-team tournament will be hosted by Mexico, Canada and the U.S. and will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities.
But a U.S. trip may be expensive and complicated for many.
Visitors from non-visa waiver countries face a $250 “visa integrity fee,” on top of the existing fee, with travelers already navigating long average visa wait times. Such visitors face an average 169 days for a B-1/B-2 tourism or business visa interview, according to data from the U.S. State Department.
That will hit fans from countries that traditionally send a large contingent to the World Cup, including Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.
Global ticket demand for the tournament came primarily from the three host countries, followed by Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil, according to FIFA.
Tourists from visa-waiver countries – mostly in Europe – will not need to pay the new fee, but industry experts say some are being put off U.S. vacations by fears of being stopped at the border after a number of widely publicized cases.
The White House is also looking to tighten the duration of visas for students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media, according to a proposed government regulation issued in August.
The 2028 Summer Olympics is set to be held in Los Angeles, California, in July 2028.
-Reuters
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The dominance of South Africa playing nearly all their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches on home soil has been disrupted, following a dramatic announcement by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA).
ZIFA confirmed that their upcoming “home” clash against Bafana Bafana will no longer be staged in South Africa but in neighbouring Botswana.
The match is now scheduled for October 10, 2025, at the 26,000-capacity Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown.
Until now, the trend had favoured South Africa, with both Zimbabwe and Lesotho earlier adopting South African venues for their home fixtures, effectively giving Bafana Bafana a string of “home” games since matchday seven. Their last true away match was back in March against Benin Republic in Abidjan.
For Nigeria and other Group C contenders, Zimbabwe’s decision comes as a relief, as it reduces the built-in advantage for South Africa, who currently sit top of the group. While Zimbabwe’s qualification hopes are slim, the fixture could prove crucial for South Africa’s campaign.
The Francistown stadium, already tested on the international stage after hosting Namibia during their qualifiers, has been deemed fit to stage matches of this calibre.
With Zimbabwe’s move, only Lesotho — Nigeria’s next opponents — still play their home matches in South Africa.
Analysts say this change could help restore a level playing field in Group C as the battle for the single automatic World Cup ticket intensifies.
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