World Cup (Q): Mugisha’s goal keeps Rwandan hopes alive against Zimbabwe

Attacker Gilbert Mugisha’s first-half strike earned Rwanda a 1-0 victory over Zimbabwe to keep Amavubi’s 2026 FIFA World Cup dream alive in South Africa on Tuesday.

Rwanda, placed third in Group C pending results of other Tuesday games, hope to secure a top-two place for the World Cup play-offs while Zimbabwe are already eliminated.

The table-anchoring Zimbabwe went into the match determined to put behind the disappointment of losing 1-0 to second-placed Benin on Friday. Amavubi, too, needed to return to winning ways following the disappointment of losing by a similar margin to Nigeria over the weekend.

As expected, it was the Warriors, featuring Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Marshall Munetsi who had missed the trip to Benin, who came out of their blocks the fastest with attacks.

Eventually, wingback Jordan Zemura came close to giving the Warriors an early goal but it was not to be. Instead, it was Mugisha who put Rwanda ahead with a 40^th-minute strike.

The APR FC star volleyed into the net from a pass outside the edge of the box following a lateral free-kick played from the left. The 29-year-old shot through a crowded box beating goalkeeper Washington Arubi who dived late to his left.

Adel Amrouche’s team went to the half-time break leading narrowly 1-0, and there was no doubt that a big response was expected from the Zimbabweans.

In the second half, the Warriors’ coach Michael Nees freshened things up in his squad by bringing seasoned striker Tymon Machope and youthful winger Bill Antonio to replace Prosper Padera and Tawanda Maswanhise.

The changes nearly paid dividends as Machope sent a powerful header to connect Knowledge Musona’s free-kick delivery from the right. However, Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari produced a reflex save to tip the ball over the bar.

Ntwari kept frustrating Zimbabwe with telling saves to deny Tawanda Chirewa in the box, the Chiefs man rising to palm a ball out from a freekick.

Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Chirewa was also presented with a clear chance to force a draw after receiving a pass from the left, but he did not open his body enough resulting in a wayward shot off target.

That missed chance finally cost Nees’ men a point in a match they dominated but were let down by the final ball.

Zimbabwe will wind up their group assignments against South Africa and Lesotho later next month. Bafana Bafana and Benin are the next opponents for the Amavubi.

As we went to press, group leaders South Africa were set to face rivals Nigeria in the evening with second-from-bottom Lesotho taking on Benin.

Four second-best teams across the nine groups in Africa will enter a play-off stage for the World Cup slot to join overall pool winners who will book a straight ticket to America for the tournament.

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