Zimbabwe's men's national team, the Warriors, will play their next home international without any supporters. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has sanctioned the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) over incidents at the National Sports Stadium on 28 September.

CAF's Disciplinary Committee has ordered the next home match to be played behind closed doors and has also fined ZIFA, allAfrica and AfricaSoccer reported on 6 October. The amount of the fine has not been made public.

The ruling means Zimbabwe's 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Equatorial Guinea will be played in an empty stadium.

What happened on 28 September

The match against DR Congo was supposed to be a celebration. It was the Warriors' first international at the National Sports Stadium since 2021, after years of renovation work and CAF restrictions that forced Zimbabwe to play its "home" games in South Africa and other neighbouring countries.

Instead, a supporter died at Gate 2 during a crush shortly before kick-off. After the final whistle, a number of spectators ran onto the pitch, which breaches CAF regulations.

On the pitch, Zimbabwe lost 2-1. According to the Herald, DR Congo led 2-0 at half-time through Yoane Wissa and Samuel Moutoussamy. Marshall Munetsi pulled one back deep into second-half stoppage time. The result left the Warriors on three points from two group games, after a 3-2 comeback win over Sierra Leone in Morocco in their opening match.

A careful return for fans

After the incident, spectators were suspended at the stadium. CAF later approved a limited return for two club and women's fixtures, with attendance capped at 10,000, gates opening hours early for security screening, and designated seating zones.

At the post-Cabinet briefing on 13 October, ministers said Cabinet had welcomed CAF's decision on spectators.

ZIFA has expressed condolences to the family of the supporter who died. Questions about crowd control at Gate 2 and who was responsible for stewarding remain a matter for the authorities. No findings have been made public, and no individual or organisation has been found responsible.

What it means for the Warriors

Playing without fans removes one of the Warriors' biggest advantages, at the point in the campaign when every home point counts. The crowd at the DR Congo game was widely praised for its noise and colour before the tragedy. Coach Ramon Catala's side will now have to get results against Equatorial Guinea in silence.

The sanction is also a reputational blow. Zimbabwe spent years and large sums of money getting the National Sports Stadium approved for international football again. CAF has made clear it will watch how upcoming matches are managed before deciding whether to allow full crowds back.

What's next

The Warriors' next fixtures come in the November international window. ZIFA is expected to confirm the date and arrangements for the Equatorial Guinea match. We will update this story when it does, and when any official inquiry into the Gate 2 incident reports.

Sources: allAfrica, 6 Oct 2026: https://allafrica.com/stories/202610060217.html · AfricaSoccer, 6 Oct 2026: https://africasoccer.com/caf-punishes-zimbabwe-tragedy-and-pitch-invasion/ · Herald, 29 Sep 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/heartbreak-for-warriors-2/ · Hanyani (post-Cabinet briefing), 13 Oct 2026: https://hanyani.com/post-cabinet-media-briefing-13-october-2026-child-justice-bill-kariba-solar-and-more/