A Rhodesian derby will be played for the 53rd time, as Zambia and Zimbabwe will clash at Bingu National Stadium in Malawi. Match will begin on Saturday, March 23, at 1 PM CET.
Zambia
Zambia, which won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012, made it back to the final tournament, but fell just short of the playoffs, as they split points with Congo DR and Tanzania before losing “0-1” in a decider to Morocco.
Ranked 87th in the world, Zambia unexpectedly lost to Niger in the World Cup qualifiers but with a win over Congo, they are currently sitting second in the group. While the WC qualifying process will resume in June, Zambia will play one friendly match in Malawi this Friday, facing their Rhodesian archrivals for the first time since 2021.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe could not come back to the CAF Cup of Nations, as they got disqualified before the qualifying had begun. It did not take long for the Warriors to come back to the international circuit, as they played two games in the 2026 World Cup qualifier, earning points against both Nigeria and Rwanda in what might be a promising campaign.
Ranked 124th in the world, Zimbabwe needs less than a hundred points to enter the top-100, as the victory in Malawi on Friday might bring them closer to the coveted goal.
Prediction ⚽️
Zambia and Zimbabwe faced each other 52 times before, but the last friendly match happened in 2018, when the hosts barely salvaged the draw in regulation time in Ndola, before winning in a penalty shootout.
This time, as the game will be played at Bingu National Stadium in Malawi, Zambia might be a slight favorite, but Zimbabwe has shown that they can hang out with the best on the continent. We will go with a draw, which will become 23rd in the Rhodesian rivalry.