By A Correspondent

Zimbabwe experienced their first loss in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers Group C, falling 2-0 to Lesotho in a matchday three clash held at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Warriors entered the match as favorites, featuring a strong starting XI that included Wolves’ young talent Tawanda Chirewa, who made his international debut.

The national team began the game energetically, controlling the early pace. Despite their dominance, they failed to create any significant goal-scoring opportunities in the first 15 minutes.

Lesotho, on the other hand, played cautiously and focused on quick counter-attacks.

Their strategy paid off in the 21st minute when they earned the game’s first corner kick. The set piece resulted in Rethabile Rasethuntsa heading home to open the scoring.

Ten minutes later, Lesotho capitalized on another counter-attack, with Jane Thabantso finishing the move to double their lead.

The Warriors attempted to respond, with Chirewa hitting the woodwork. They launched several attacks but went into the break trailing 2-0.

In the second half, Lesotho continued to play defensively, aiming to protect their lead.

Zimbabwe struggled to find their rhythm after the restart but eventually began to mount pressure towards the hour mark. Despite launching a series of attacks, they were unable to break through, and the match ended 2-0 in favor of Lesotho.