Saturday Nov 13, 2021. 09:00
Zimbabwe and Ethiopia will battle for pride when they meet in their final Group G 2022 World Cup qualifier, set for the National Sports Stadium in Harare on Sunday 14 November 2021, kick-off at 15:00 CAT.
Zimbabwe have had it tough through these qualifiers, with their latest setback a 1-0 defeat away to regional rivals South Africa on Thursday night to remain winless and bottom of the standings with just one point from five outings.
2022 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS GROUPS
A victory at home would at least give the Warriors a shot at avoiding the ignominy of the wooden spoon, though they will need to show better finishing compared to their efforts against Bafana Bafana in midweek.
Ethiopia, meanwhile, claimed a creditable 1-1 draw at ‘home’ to Ghana in Soweto on Thursday, with Getaneh Kebede cancelling out Andre Ayew’s opener for the Black Stars.
The result did nothing to help the Walia Ibex’s qualification chances – they had been eliminated last month already – but they bloodied the nose of a heavyweight like Ghana and will see that as a major boost ahead of playing in the Africa Cup of Nations finals early next year.
“We must show our opponents that we are here to defend the honour of our jersey,” said Ethiopia coach Wubetu Abate.
In head-to-head stats, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia have met in four matches dating back to 1984. The Walia Ibex have claimed three wins compared to one for the Warriors. The teams’ Matchday 2 meeting in Group G back in September saw Ethiopia claim a 1-0 home win in Bahir Dar thanks to a last-gasp strike from Aschalew Tamene.
COMMENTS
Sign in to comment