The Warriors are yet to beat Congo Brazzaville in competitive games since the country’s independence in 1980.

The two sides have met three times with the first game played on 2 September 1990 in Central Africa and Zimbabwe lost it 2-0. The return fixture happened in July 1991 at the National Sports Stadium, and it ended in a 2-2 draw.

The last encounter came in September last year in the current Afcon qualifying campaign, and the Warriors managed to get a 1-1 draw in Brazzaville.

Of all the three matches played since 1990, it’s the 2-2 draw that is still stuck in the minds of most Zimbabweans for all bad reasons. The result failed Zimbabwe to qualify for the finals in Senegal as they needed a win at home to seal their place at the tournament.

The Warriors will definitely be looking for revenge this afternoon as the two teams face each other again at the same venue in a decisive Afcon qualifier.

Head-to-head Stats vs Congo
Games played: 3
Games won: 0
Games drawn: 2
Games lost: 1

Permutations
Zimbabwe need at least a draw of any scoreline to qualify for the 2019 Afcon finals set for Egypt in June. They currently lead Group B with eight points while Congo are at the bottom with five.

The Central Africans still hold a chance to book their place at the tournament. They only need a victory of any margin.

In case the Warriors lose the game, Congo will proceed to the finals while the hosts can still come in on the second position provided the game between DRC and Liberia ends in a draw. Anything which is not a stalemate in Kinshasa will see either DRC or Liberia qualifying to 2019 Afcon.

Standings: