There will be no room for friendships when the whistle sounds on Monday night.
Zimbabwe defender Divine Lunga has made it clear that club allegiances and brotherhood will be put on hold when the Zimbabwe national football team face the South Africa national football team in a decisive Africa Cup of Nations Group B showdown at the Stade de Marrakech (18:00 CAT).
“Yes, we are teammates and brothers, but in the field of play I don’t think anyone will say this my brother because the game is like that, and then after the game, friendships will continue,” Lunga said, setting the tone for a high-voltage regional derby with knockout football on the line.
With Egypt already on six points, the race for second place has turned into a three-way dogfight. Bafana Bafana sit second with three points following a 2-1 win over Angola, while Zimbabwe are bottom with one point after a draw with Angola and a narrow defeat to Egypt.
For the Warriors, the equation is simple: win and keep the dream alive. Three points would lift Zimbabwe to four and above South Africa.
If Angola stumbles against Egypt, the Warriors book their place in the round of 16. If both Zimbabwe and Angola win, goal difference and then goals scored, will decide who survives.
The contest carries an extra edge for Lunga, who is set to come up against several of his Mamelodi Sundowns teammates, including Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau, Aubrey Modiba and Teboho Mokoena.
But the 30-year-old insists sentiment will not soften the challenge.
“We are not fighting, we are just playing the game. All that I have to do is fight for the badge in this game, it’s nothing personal.”
The two sides recently met in FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers, a closely fought encounter on 10 October 2025 when The Warriors nearly derailed Bafana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying hopes, with the match ending in a thrilling 0-0 draw.
