South Africa vs Zimbabwe Prediction: Bets, Context, and Lineups
Best Bets for South Africa vs Zimbabwe
- South Africa to win with odds of 1.42 on Betway, equating to a 70% chance for the home side to win.
- South Africa -1 handicap with odds of 2.30 on Betway, indicating a 43% chance for South Africa to win by at least two goals.
- Under 0.5 goals for Zimbabwe with odds of 1.80 on Betway, representing a 56% chance for Hugo Broos’s side to keep a clean sheet.
South Africa are expected to beat Zimbabwe 2-0.
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South Africa vs Zimbabwe Bet 1: South Africa Victory @ 1.42 with Betway
South Africa haven’t played at the World Cup since they hosted the tournament in 2010. There was no need to go through the qualifying stage back then. However, they will fancy their chances of returning to the biggest tournament in football after being buoyed by a successful AFCON campaign.
The South Africans beat Zimbabwe 1-0 the last time they went head-to-head at the Free State Stadium in 2021. We are banking on them to get the job done once again.
Zimbabwe were beaten 2-0 by Lesotho in their last match. Their defensive struggles this year do not bode well ahead of this fixture.
South Africa vs Zimbabwe Bet 2: South Africa -1 handicap @ 2.30 with Betway
Zimbabwe’s lacklustre defence should mean the home side are able to win this match by at least two goals and cover the -1 handicap. Jairos Tapera, the interim coach for Zimbabwe was left enraged by the display against Lesotho. The team have now conceded seven goals across their three matches in 2024.
Although South Africa were the underdogs as they drew in Nigeria last week, they looked dangerous on the break as the game finished 1-1. The team should enjoy much more possession this time around. Therefore, Hugo Broos’s side should have plenty more opportunities to score.
South Africa vs Zimbabwe Bet 3: Under 0.5 goals for Zimbabwe @ 1.80 with Betway
Failing to score at home to Lesotho sparked an inquest in the Zimbabwe camp, but the short turnaround leaves them with very little time to remedy the issue. The Warriors failed to score in their last two meetings with South Africa. The most recent clash took place in November 2021. Zimbabwe couldn’t force a single save from the South African keeper on that occasion.
South Africa are still awaiting their first clean sheet in this qualifying group, but the match against Nigeria was their only qualifier since finishing 3rd in AFCON. They deserve their favourites tag in this one and have every chance of keeping a clean sheet.
Our Analysis: Form of Both Teams
Group C of the African World Cup qualifiers is closely contested after three matches. Just three points separate the 6th place from the 1st and this round of fixtures could prove to be crucial.
South Africa have drawn their three matches since the African Cup of Nations. They almost made it to the final of that tournament, but were beaten by Nigeria on penalties at the semi-final stage. The team went on to win the third-place playoff, but they aim to finish above Nigeria in World Cup qualifying.
The semi-final defeat in the AFCON is South Africa’s only defeat in their last nine matches. However, they suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Rwanda in November, leaving them with just four points from their three qualifying matches. Despite the setbacks, they are just one point off the top coming into this game.
Zimbabwe are the underdogs here, but they have shown they are capable of snatching a result. The draw to Nigeria at home at the tail end of 2023 was a huge morale boost.
The Warriors were banned from competing at the last African Cup of Nations by FIFA. They will need to put a few turbulent years behind them and rally as a team if they want to secure the World Cup qualification.
Probable Lineups for South Africa vs Zimbabwe
The probable lineup for South Africa in the "system of play."
Williams, Mudau, Ngezana, Mvala, Modiba, Adams, Sithole, Mokoena, Tau, Zwane, Foster
The probable lineup for Zimbabwe in the "system of play."
Donovan, Mbeba, Hadebe, Takwara, Lunga, Rinomhota, Machope, Munetsi, Musona, Kadewere, Msendami