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Lionel Messi is being backed to "win the Champions League with PSG and retire at Barcelona", with Juan Roman Riquelme suggesting that a fellow Argentine may not have ended his love affair with La Liga giants.

A six-time Ballon d'Or winner severed career-long ties with Barca this summer after seeing financial difficulties at Camp Nou make it impossible for him to be tied to a new contract.

An all-time great is now making a fresh start in France, as part of another star-studded squad, and Riquelme can see an illustrious countryman claiming more silverware at Parc des Princes before retracing his steps to Catalunya.

What has been said?

Former Barcelona star Riquelme has told ESPN of a mercurial talent that he once played alongside for Argentina: "I hope that Messi goes on to enjoy Paris. 

"I don’t know if it’s strange, but we are all excited to see him enjoy playing with [Kylian] Mbappe and Neymar.

"If they don’t win the Champions League now, they won’t win it."

Riquelme added: "I think Messi will win the Champions League with PSG and retire at Barcelona."

Could Messi head back to Barcelona?

Messi did agree terms with Barca before heading through the exits at Camp Nou, with an emotional farewell bid to the club that made him a superstar once it became apparent that no paperwork could be signed.

PSG threw open their doors to the most sought-after of free agents and quickly put a two-year deal in place.

Messi will only be 36 by the time that agreement comes to a close - the same age eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo is now.

A Portuguese icon has made a homecoming of sorts himself this summer, as he rejoins the fold at Manchester United, and it could be that Messi treads a similar path.

There has been plenty of speculation regarding a spell in MLS or a return to Argentina before hanging up his boots, but Barcelona have made it clear that there will always be a role for a favourite son on their books if an opportunity to reunite presents itself.

Further reading

The majority of Kenyans have hit out at the Harambee Stars after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Uganda in a 2022 World Cup qualifier at the Nyayo Stadium on Thursday.

Fans who reacted to the stalemate felt the Harambee Stars missed a big chance to harvest points that would have been vital in the qualification journey despite the fact that they met a new-look Cranes side in the encounter.

In the dull encounter in Nairobi, both sides failed to create clear cut chances and neither goal was seriously threatened.

Kenya have already travelled to Kigali for the second qualifier against Rwanda on September 5 as Uganda shift focus to their encounter against Mali the day thereafter.

Here are the best comments from fans after the game:

Gregg Berhalter backed Sergino Dest after a difficult game as the Barcelona star struggled in what was his first World Cup qualifying experience.

Played as an inverted left-back on Thursday night, Dest was unable to truly get going in the attack in a 0-0 draw with El Salvador.

Dest lasted 64 minutes before being replaced by Antonee Robinson, but Berhalter says he is going to work with the Barcelona star to figure out a way to get the best out of him in the games to come.

Dest's learning curve

The 20-year-old fullback became the latest European-based star to struggle on the road in CONCACAF, which has notoriously proven treacherous for some of the region's most talented players.

Playing out of his usual club position on the left side, Dest's tricky dribbling was never enough to kickstart an attack and his difficulties in defence left the U.S. exposed a few times.

Berhalter opted to play DeAndre Yedlin at right-back instead, pointing to Yedlin's CONCACAF experience, and says Dest will have learned a lot from a difficult game.

"We'll review his performance and talk to him about his evaluation, but we know he's a quality player," Berhalter said ."We know, from the left, he can come inside, start to combine, start to switch.

"We thought our switching of the field was going to be important and we have a right-footer on the left side, so when he comes inside, he can easily switch field. We thought that was going to be a benefit.

"For him, it's just a learning experience as well. As a young player that plays in Barcelona now, they don't get too many environments like that with those clubs, so, for him, it's just about learning. We have a lot of confidence in Sergino. He's a top player, and it's just the learning curve to now perform in World Cup qualifiers."

Dest will likely be a key player for the USMNT's next match as he could go head-to-head with Alphonso Davies when the U.S. take on Canada.

Questions remain up top

Berhalter opted to start Josh Sargent in the U.S. attack, with Konrad de la Fuente and Gio Reyna on either side of the Norwich forward.

Sargent was dangerous in stretches of Thursday's game, making some good runs but failing to truly create danger often enough.

He was replaced by Jordan Pefok in the second half as the battle for the USMNT No 9 spot rages on.

"I think he had a good start to the game," Berhalter said. "A couple of good runs behind the backline, was in the penalty box, was occupying space in the penalty box, almost got an end of a couple crosses, had a couple of good transition moments, I thought, in both halves of the game.

"Unfortunately, he didn't get the goal and Jordan came on. You can see he's really dangerous in crossing, was good holding the ball up. It's that speed of play to continue to, as it comes into him, to keep the ball moving to the other side of the field and then into the penalty box.

"Both of them, we would have liked to see them scoring goals and we had to look at the chances that they had and evaluate those but you know I thought it was an okay performance."

Learning from a dogfight

Featuring a team that saw 12 players make their World Cup qualifying debut, Berhalter said that Thursday's match would be a real learning moment for the young U.S. team.

Up next is a match against Canada on Sunday in Nashville before the U.S. heads to Honduras next week where they will look to apply the lessons learned on Thursday.

"All these games are going to be hard fought," Berhalter said. "Anytime you go away from home, it's going to be a difficult game. Any intentions of us coming here and winning 3-0, it's going to be really challenging. Look at the other scores around CONCACAF, all the ties, Mexico winning in the 90th minute at home.

"They're dogfights and as much as I'd want to win this game, and we did want to win this game, I think that the attitude and the play was trying to win the game for the whole 90 minutes.

"We'll take the point and we'll move on. We know the next game is a home game against Canada followed by Honduras and we want to pick up points in those games."

Further reading

Ghana captain Andre Ayew believes a good display in their 2022 World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia will be a great first step on the road to Qatar.

With eyes on a return to the global showpiece, the Black Stars are set to commence their campaign with a Group G home clash with the Walias on Friday.

Ghana missed out of the 2018 gathering in Russia, halting a run of three successive appearances between 2006 and 2014.

“We’re totally focused on the task ahead of us. We want to start this World Cup qualification really well at home, so we’re ready, we’re well prepared,” Ayew, who featured at the 2010 and 2014 World Cup tournaments, said at the pre-match press conference on Thursday.

“Now is the time to go and do the job. We know that it’s six games, but this is the first one and we want to start with a great victory in front of our fans.

“Jonathan [Mensah], Jordan [Ayew] and [Mubarak] Wakaso are all players who have played at the World Cup, and we know what it is. We know the power behind it, we know the level of football behind it and what especially it brings to the people of Ghana and the nation, so we know that we have to do our job.

“[We have to] make sure that we guide the boys really well and make sure that we personally individually perform to make it happen. But it’s a long journey. It’s a marathon, six games, and it starts tomorrow.”

That only four players from Ghana’s last World Cup appearance in 2014 still feature in the current set-up highlights the changed face of the Black Stars.

Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey, Chelsea left-back Baba Rahman, Stade Rennes attacker Kamaldeen Sulemana and Liverpool-linked Abdul Fatawu Issahaku are among the group seeking to reach the World Cup for the first time.

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey and Ajax playmaker Mohammed Kudus are two other two key members of the current national side but they are unavailable for Friday’s match due to injury.

“I’ve been with two different generations of the squad. I’m very happy with the boys that are here. We work really well, the group is gelling well. We’ve been in camp for since Monday. Everything is okay. You can see that there’s a lot of quality, there’s a lot of talent,” Ayew added.

“So, I’m convinced and sure that the players who are going to represent the nation are all ready to make the nation proud. So to be frank, the boys here are very talented, good players, determined to succeed. So I belief that with patience, with hunger, we’ll be able to succeed.”

After Friday’s tie, Ghana will play as guest of South Africa in their next game on Monday.

U.S. men's national team (USMNT) midfielder Tyler Adams says he would rather play against England or France than in El Salvador as he explained the circumstances faced by any travelling team in CONCACAF after Thursday's World Cup qualifying opener.

Adams captained the USMNT on Thursday in El Salvador in a match that saw the U.S. held in a 0-0 draw at a hostile Estadio Cuscatlan with the hosts frustrating the visitors in front of a raucous home crowd.

The midfielder, who has played in a Champions League semifinal for RB Leipzig, says outsiders don't fully understand how hard it is to navigate these games while setting his sights on much better performances after a disappointing draw on Thursday.

What did Adams say?

"I talk with my teammates at Leipzig all the time about which games I have during the international window," he said. "They sit there and laugh because they have to play against England, France, obviously some great countries with a lot of talent.

"I tell them, 'Trust me, I'd rather play against France or England in these games where the conditions and the fans and the pitch and the ball and everything is an ideal situation'. For us, it's never going to be an ideal situation on the road.

"The energy is just completely different. You have to go into the game with the right mindset, and be ready to battle. That's the best way to describe it. They're intense, they're feisty, they're gritty. You can't go into these games naive. So yeah, for me, I think that the energy going into these games has to be right."

The big picture

The general belief is teams should aim to get a point on the road and all three at home in CONCACAF so, by that measure, the U.S. are off to a good start.

However, with El Salvador being among the weakest in the eight-team field, many expected the U.S. to begin qualifying with a bang, including Adams himself, who called for the team to put together a nine-point week pre-game.

That is now out the window, adding a bit more pressure ahead of Sunday's home match against Canada. After that, the U.S. will face another difficult road test when they play at Honduras next week.

"The standard is obviously to get three points in every game, but we know that that's obviously not always going to be the easiest especially after a game like this," Adams said.

"So, moving into Sunday we know that having our fans behind our back and getting that momentum is going to be super important because that puts us obviously in an even better position to go back on the road again for the Honduras game."

He added: "I get the same feeling from the team that the standard is high, the bar is high. We want to win as many away games as possible.

"We know that tangibly it's not going to be the easiest and we knew that before we had that first experience, but now, after having that first experience, I think that we know we have to dig in a little bit deeper in the late stages of the game.

"When we continue to create these half chances, we just need to get after it, we need to finish and put these games away. 

"We know that we have the quality to do so but, again, these games don't rely on quality; these games rely on your mentality and how far you can dig deep and really just give it everything."

Further reading

South Africa and Zimbabwe resume their rivalry when they cross swords in Group G of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on Friday.

It is the first competitive match for South Africa under Hugo Broos, who was appointed Bafana Bafana coach in May, replacing Molefi Ntseki.

The Belgian will be keen to convince Bafana followers early in this campaign that he is the right man to guide this side to the World Cup ahead of hosting Ghana in their next match on Monday.

South Africa last qualified for the global football showpiece in 2002, before taking part in the 2010 edition as hosts.

Their first appearance at the tournament was in 1998 and they now face Zimbabwe who have never qualified for the World Cup before.

In Zimbabwe, the confrontation against South Africa is popularly known as "The Battle of Limpopo," the river which separates the two countries. 

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

Zimbabwe coach Zdravko Logarusic will go into battle without Golden Arrows forward Knox Mutizwa who tested positive for Covid-19.

The Warriors will also miss the services of AmaZulu defender Buthilezwe Ncube for the same health reasons.

But the absence of Mutizwa might not be a big worry for the Croat who still has captain Knowledge Musona to lead his attack together with Lyon forward Tino Kadewere. 

It is in defence that Zimbabwe are in a crisis as former Kaizer Chiefs centre-back Teenage Hadebe failed to travel from his American base due to Covid-19 restrictions.

There are also fitness concerns on another centre-back Alec Mudimu and this saw Logarusic hinting at starting former Orlando Pirates midfielder Marshall Munetsi and SuperSport United left-back Onismor Bhasera in the heart of the defence.

Jimmy Dzingai could have been an option at the back but could not make it to camp has he is club-hunting just like ex-Chiefs midfielder Ovidy Karuru.

Covid-19 regulations also saw Zimbabwe being denied the opportunity to have UK-based stars like Aston Villa’s Marvelous Nakamba, Reading captain Tendayi Darikwa, Bournemouth left-back Jordan Zemura, Ipswich Town striker Macauley Bonne, Admiral Muskwe of Luton Town as well as ex-England youth international Brendan Galloway in the squad.

Just like Zimbabwe who recorded two Covid-19 cases, Broos had to leave behind Portugal-based defender Thibang Phete and Mamelodi Sundowns forward Thabiso Kutumela after the duo tested positive for the virus.

But the absence of Phete is not much of a worry for Broos who still has Siyanda Xulu, Austin Dube and Njabulo Ngcobo to pick from for central defence.

Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Mothobi Mvala was an injury concern but travelled to Harare and there are chances he could be given a run of some few minutes. 

South Africa had to endure the blow of losing defenders Mosa Lebusa and Innocent Maela due to injuries. 

Match Preview

Battles between South Africa and Zimbabwe have always been fiery.

The last time the two teams were in the same World Cup qualifying group, Bafana Bafana topped the standings and made it to Korea/Japan 2002.

Also, the last time Bafana visited Zimbabwe in a World Cup qualifier, they won 2-0 at the National Sports Stadium in July 2000.

Broos and his men would be hoping for the National Sports Stadium to earn them a fruitful outing again.

But that match 21 years ago is something to forget for Zimbabwe as it represents the biggest stadium tragedy in the country’s sporting history.

When Delron Buckley scored Bafana’s second goal, there was some unrest in the stands, leading to a stampede that claimed 13 lives. 

On Friday, the Warriors could be keen to avenge that painful day with victory and replicate the 4-1 win they inflicted on their neighbours in August 1992 at the same venue.

That 1992 clash has some historical significance as it was the first-ever meeting between the two countries and also South Africa’s first competitive match since being readmitted into Fifa.

Since then, Bafana and the Warriors have met 15 times with Zimbabwe enjoying a slightly better record of seven wins to South Africa’s six, while two games have ended in draws. 

But it has now been eight years since the two teams last faced off. 

The last time they met, it was in an international friendly match at Orlando Stadium on September 10, 2013 as Zimbabwe walked away 2-1 winners.

From the players who featured for Zimbabwe on that evening, they still have goalkeeper Washington Arubi, Bhasera, Musona and Kaizer Chiefs’ Khama Billiat in the current squad.

None of the Bafana players who played that match is still around in the national team set-up.

Lionel Messi made his debut for PSG on August 29, 2021, in a Ligue 1 clash against Reims at the Stade Auguste Delaune when he came on as a substitute replacing Neymar in the 66th minute. PSG won the tie 2-0 courtesy Kylian Mbappe's brace

The Argentina superstar ended his 21-year long association with Barcelona in the summer of 2021, a club he had joined as a teenager. After his contract finished at the end of last season, a dramatic saga ensued which ended with Barcelona being left unable to renew his contract due to financial constraints. And Messi ended up joining the French giants on a two-year deal with an option to extend another year.

Messi has achieved numerous in past playing for Barcelona. He is the most decorated footballer in the history of Barcelona having won the most number of trophies for the club (35). He is also Barcelona's most-capped footballer of all time with 778 appearances in all competitions. Messi is also the club's all-time highest goalscorer overall with 672 goals to his name

Now that the star attacker is at PSG, he will look to break some of the records at the French club. Let us find out which are the records that the 34-year-old can break during his stint with the Ligue 1 giants.

1) Most assists in a Ligue 1 season

Lionel Messi's Argentina and now PSG teammate Angel Di Maria currently holds the record of providing the most assists (18) in a Ligue 1 season which he had achieved in the 2015/16 campaign. Messi has a history of registering 18 or more assists in a season on four occasions the most recent being the 2019/20 season where he had provided 22 assists. Thus, it is quite possible the star player can break Di Maria's record in the Ligue 1.

2) Most goals in a single match for PSG

The most goals scored by a PSG player in a single match is four. Nine PSG players in the past have achieved this feat with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring four goals twice. Lionel Messi has scored four or more goals eight times in his club career and has a very good chance of matching the feat or even going past it.

3) Most goals in a season

Former PSG star Zlatan Ibrahimovic holds the record of scoring the most number of goals (50) in one season for PSG. Lionel Messi has scored 50 plus goals in a season six times in his club career so far, the highest being 73 for Barcelona during the 2011/12 season. In the 2018/19 season, he had scored 51 goals. The Argentine has a good chance of going past his former Barcelona's teammates goals' tally in PSG colours.

4) Most goals in a Ligue 1 season

In the same 2015/16 season where Zlatan Ibrahimovic had scored 50 goals, 38 out of those 50 goals came in the Ligue 1 which is a record. Lionel Messi had netted 30 goals in the La Liga last season for Barcelona and has a realistic chance of eclipsing Ibrahimovic's numbers.

5) Most goals in a Champions League season for PSG

Ibrahimovic holds this record as well for PSG. In 2013-14 season, Ibrahimovic scored 10 goals for PSG in the Champions League. Messi has scored 10 or more goals in a Champions League five times in his career the most recent being the 2018/19 season where he netted 12 goals. The Argentine, who is a serial goalscorer, might just break Ibrahimovic's record.

6) Most hat-tricks in Champions League for PSG

Currently and Neymar and Kylian Mbappe (two each) hold the record of scoring the most hat-tricks in the Champions League. Lionel Messi, who has scored eight hat-tricks in the Champions League so far in his career for Barcelona can overtake his PSG teammates.

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Enock Mwepu is eager to fulfil his dream of guiding Zambia to the Fifa World Cup.

The 23-year-old has his eyes on a ticket to Qatar for the 2022 edition, as he wants Chipolopolo to take part in the tournament for the first time in their history.

Zambia are in Group B alongside Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia and Mauritania and they would need to negotiate their way to the top in order to advance to the final playoff round where the 10 group leaders will face off to pick the five qualifying tickets for the continent.

"It has been my dream to try to qualify for the World Cup and take Zambia to the World Cup,” Mwepu told Caf’s website.

"There is this opportunity now; we are just starting to try to re-organize and see what we can achieve together as we play Mauritania in the first game."

They face Mauritania for their opening fixture in Nouakchott on Friday and the Premier League star believes the outing could set the tone for their upcoming games in the second round of the qualifiers.

After Friday’s trip, Zambia are scheduled to host Tunisia for their second group match at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.

"It is a very crucial game, we are starting our World Cup qualifiers and we know that we did not do well in the previous qualifiers of the Africa Cup of Nations," he said.

“If we can pick up three points in an away game then we are sure that we have something to look forward to at the end of this tournament. We must just bring ourselves together and try to do what we have to do to focus and achieve something.”

Mwepu was part of the Zambian team that missed the 2018 World Cup in Russia after they finished second in the qualifying group behind leaders Nigeria.

Zambia, unfortunately, did not qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon and they would need to wait for the qualifiers of the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast before returning to the biennial showpiece since their last appearance in 2015.

By virtue of Wednesday’s 1-1 draw between Cape Verde and Central African Republic, Nigeria’s Super Eagles begin the Second Round of World Cup qualifying in a fairly strong position.

A win would immediately catapult them to the top of Group C, allowing them to lead from the front as has now become the custom under German coach Gernot Rohr.

However, this low-pressure situation is complicated to a great degree by ongoing UK travel restrictions.

Four days following Friday’s opening qualifier with Liberia, Nigeria will travel to Cape Verde shorn of its Premier League stars due to the island’s status as a ‘Red List’ nation. Any players traveling there would have to, upon return to the UK, quarantine for 10 days, rendering them unavailable to their clubs and robbing them of vital training and fitness work.

Cape Verde is a difficult away trip in most circumstances anyway, no thanks to the artificial surface in Praia. Their victory over Cameroon in March perfectly demonstrated this, as does the fact their last competitive defeat on their own patch came against Senegal in 2017.

The knowledge that he will be unable to rely on some of his best players for it makes a victory over Liberia not just expedient for Rohr, but imperative.

How the Super Eagles handle this pressure will be instructive.

Absolutely needing a result is not a familiar state of affairs for this group of players; arguably the one time they have been faced with similar – against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup – they wilted under the pressure of the moment.

Of course, Liberia are nowhere near as daunting a prospect. Nevertheless, the collective psychology in the face of this challenge will be important to observe.

If that seems to suggest Nigeria’s mental state is all that stands in the way of a win on Friday, that is because it does suggest exactly that. 

While the Super Eagles have found travels to Freetown a difficult proposition since the turn of the decade, the home fixtures have been more straightforward: there was a 6-1 hammering en route to qualification for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, as well as a memorable 2-0 victory during the qualifying series for the 2002 World Cup that served as a turning point for the two teams’ qualification hopes.

Friday should prove no different.

This is, after all, a Liberia side that failed to progress past the preliminary round of Afcon qualifying, losing on penalties to an unremarkable Chad side that would go on to finish bottom of their qualifying group.

The Lone Stars are ranked 150th in the Fifa rankings, only better off than eight other African nations, and have not won a competitive match on away soil in over four years.

Eliminating Sierra Leone, who famously came through two encounters with Nigeria in Afcon qualifying unscathed, does deserve some recognition, of course.

In Kpah Sherman, they have a willing worker upfront who will chase hard and force defenders back, and Terrence Tisdell is the side’s technical leader from midfield. However, the fact they ply their club trades in Malaysia and the Turkish second division respectively serves to illustrate the chasm between Liberia and Nigeria.

Their most recent outing saw them thrashed 5-1 by an entirely home-based Algeria side in June.

The bar is set then: it will not be enough for the Super Eagles to win. It will also be necessary to win convincingly.

The absence through injury of Samuel Chukwueze complicates that somewhat.

The Villarreal winger’s directness and quick feet have the capacity to unbalance even the most obdurate opponent, and without him Rohr will have to make a choice between Moses Simon’s dour efficiency and the wild, mercurial nature of Samuel Kalu’s play.

The rest of the team pretty much picks itself beyond that, although some might suggest a midfield of Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo is a little too negative against a side like Liberia.

Joe Aribo offers greater attacking impetus and technical ability than the Watford man, but struggled to hold down the middle of the pitch against Sierra Leone, and will likely miss out on that account. However, it is worth noting that the Super Eagles only found a second goal against Lesotho in March when Etebo stepped forward to arrive in the box.

At the risk of looking too far forward, it will also be interesting to see what Rohr’s approach is to bedding in the newer members of the team.

The likes of Kingsley Michael and Innocent Bonke have, on account of the UK Red List ban, been added to the squad for the trip to Cape Verde.

It would hardly be expedient to throw either or both of them in at the deep end in Praia without first introducing them here against Liberia, and so this fixture could also serve as something of a prep for Tuesday.

All the more reason to wrap the result up early on Friday.

Barcelona have announced the loan of Miralem Pjanic to Besiktas on Thursday as their squad trimming continues.

Pjanic follows Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, Ilaix Moriba and many others out of Camp Nou with the club desperate to clear wages and reduce debt.

The midfielder spent just one season in Spain following his arrival from Juventus last summer.

Besiktas unveil Pjanic capture

Loan fee

Besiktas announced on their official website that they will pay €2.7 million in order to secure the player.

His loan runs until next June.

Pjanic's record in La Liga

The 31-year-old made just six domestic starts last year as injuries and poor form kept him out of Ronald Koeman's plans.

However, his contributions in Serie A before joining Barcelona were significant, and Besiktas will hope he returns to the level he played at with Juventus.

Further reading

Italy are now tied with Brazil and Spain for the longest unbeaten streak in international history after their 1-1 draw with Bulgaria in World Cup qualifying on Thursday.

The Azzurri have not been bested since 2018, a remarkable stretch of 35 games that began following a Nations League loss to Portugal.

They won Euro 2020 this past summer and will look to make more history in the coming months in their quest to secure a 2022 World Cup berth.

Italy's place in world history

Roberto Mancini's men now stand besides two of the greatest teams ever in Brazil of the 1990s and Spain in the 2000s.

It's worth noting that Algeria also have an active unbeaten streak going as they have not lost in their last 28 outings.

World Cup qualifying position

Italy lead Group C with 10 points in four matches and will play second-place Switzerland on Sunday in what may be a match to determine who tops the group.

Still, the Azzurri were disappointed not to earn a victory over Bulgaria.

“I am thrilled for the goal, but we should have won and we didn’t do it," goalscorer Federico Chiesa told RAI Sport. "Now we must go to Switzerland and play as we know.

“It would have been better to take all three points home, we wanted to win and we have to focus on the next game now. We play good football and we have great ideas, we proved it tonight."

Further reading

South Africa coach Hugo Broos is anticipating a tough match against Zimbabwe in their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying opening fixture.

Friday’s encounter in Harare is expected to rekindle the rivalry between both Southern African countries.

The last time both countries faced off was in 2013 during a friendly outing but Zimbabwe came out victorious with a 2-1 win in Johannesburg.

Meanwhile, Broos believes Bafana Bafana have an away advantage with the game set to be played without fans at the National Sports Stadium.

“Derbies are always tough, for both teams. We’re playing away, though the stands will be empty, which is good for us, as there’s a big difference between playing in front of a crowd in Harare and playing without one. That doesn’t mean to say that we’re going to underestimate our opponents, though,” Broos told Fifa’s website.

“I’ve seen Zimbabwe’s games in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, against Algeria, for example. They’re a strong side and it’s not going to be easy, but we’ll just try to focus on what we can do.”

South Africa also have Ghana and Ethiopia to compete against for the sole ticket in Group H to the final qualifying stage but the former Cameroon handler considers the Walia ibex as the surprise package in the group.

Bafana Bafana last qualified for the World Cup in 2010 when they hosted the tournament on home soil but they did not go beyond the group stage.

“We’re coming up against teams who’ve all qualified for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations [to be held in Cameroon in January/February 2022], so they’re all strong,” he added.

“Ghana are Cup of Nations regulars and they’ve reached a lot of World Cups lately. I’ve had a good look at Zimbabwe and Ethiopia too and they seem to have a lot of potential. Zimbabwe are neighbours of ours and there’s no doubt they’ll be keen to beat us. Ethiopia could be the surprise package of the group. They’re strong at home, in front of their own fans.

“We wouldn’t be athletes if we didn’t have the aim of reaching the World Cup. We want to go through, even though we’re in tough group and up against teams who are at their peak, while we’re at the start of a rebuilding process. We’ll fight, though, and do what we can to qualify.

“All the same, African qualifying competitions are very challenging. First you’ve got to win your group and then you’ve got to win a play-off tie, which means that five of the group winners won’t make it to the world finals. That just shows how tough these qualifiers are.”

England's players received a rough reception before and during Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Hungary, with sections of the home crowd booing the team for kneeling ahead of the game.

The Euro 2020 finalists ran out 4-0 winners in the Puskas Arena to extend their perfect start to the competition, thanks to a sublime second-half display. 

But matters on the pitch were overshadowed by a number of incidents involving fans in Budapest, including various missiles which were aimed at members of the away team. 

What happened? 

England received a taste of what was to come before kick-off, when Gareth Southgate's charges kneeled on the pitch. 

The anti-racism gesture was not well-received, attracting fierce boos and jeers from parts of the Puskas Arena. 

The hostile atmosphere continued once the game was underway. 

Raheem Sterling, who opened the scoring for England after 55 minutes, was pelted with paper cups as he celebrated his strike, while a flare was thrown from the stands after Harry Maguire made it 3-0. 

Harry Kane and Declan Rice also got on the score-sheet, leaving England with four wins out of four in Group I to sit five points clear of nearest rivals Poland. 

After the match, Kane was unable to confirm whether or not his team-mates had received racial abuse from fans.

"I didn't hear that. I will talk to the boys and see if they heard any of it," he told Sky Sports 

"We will have to report it to UEFA as the rules permit. If that is the case, hopefully Uefa come down strong."

The bigger picture

It is not the first time that Hungary's fans have garnered negative attention in international matches. 

Ireland players received a similarly negative reaction when taking the knee prior to a previous encounter in the country, while UEFA handed Hungary a three-match supporter ban due to racist and homophobic behaviour during Euro 2020 - a sanction that is not applicable to World Cup qualifying matches as they fall under FIFA's remit. 

"We always prepare the team for everything really," Southgate had explained to reporters before the game when asked if his players were expecting to receive racist abuse. 

"We've done that this week, but also we know we've had our own issues at home so we're not really focusing on other countries, we're focusing on ourselves and making sure we get our own things correct."

Further reading 

Mexico will seek a quick start on the path to the Qatar 2022 World Cup when they get their CONCACAF qualifying campaign under way against Jamaica at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Watch Mexico vs Jamaica on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

El Tri play host to the Reggae Boyz as the former enter the third - and final - round of the road to next year's showpiece tournament, looking to bounce back from their Gold Cup heartbreak.

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news & rosters

*denotes uncapped player

Having just been edged out at the Gold Cup by the USMNT, El Tri will be out to dust themselves off and throw down an early gauntlet as they aim to make it to Qatar with little complication.

Gerardo Martino brings two new players into the fold for potential debuts, but without Hector Moreno, Carlos Salcedo and Miguel Layun at the back, plus no Raul Jimenez, his side do look a little shakier than perhaps hoped for.

Predicted Mexico starting XI: Talavera; L. Rodriguez, Araujo, Sepulveda, Gallardo; Corona, Romo, Dos Santos, Pizarro; Pineda, Funes Mori.

*denotes uncapped player

Having drawn domestically for their Gold Cup campaign, the Reggae Boyz now turn to a heavily European-centric squad as they look to bolster their outside chance of making it to Qatar.

The headline inclusions are West Ham's Michail Antonio - called up for but never capped by England - and Rangers' Kemar Roofe, though due to quarantine rules, the majority of the England-based players will miss out entirely for this first clash.

Predicted Jamaica starting XI: Blake; Powell, Moore, Mariappa, Lawrence; Johnson, Decordova-Reid, Morrison, D. Williams; Nicholson, Burke.

Last five results

Head-to-head

Brazil resumes its 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign with an away game against Chile in Santiago.

Watch Chile vs Brazil on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

The two teams have already faced off this year at the 2021 Copa America, when Brazil won 1-0 in the quarter-finals thanks to a goal from Paqueta

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news & rosters

Chile's all-time top scorer and appearance leader Alexis Sanchez is not in the Chile squad, having stayed in Milan with Inter to nurse a calf injury.

Ben Brereton Diaz and Francisco Sierralta have also not traveled due to the United Kingdom's restrictions on overseas travel due to Covid-19.

Inter Miami striker Robbie Robinson received his first call-up to the Chile squad, but the American-born 22-year-old was forced to withdraw through injury.

Predicted Chile starting XI: Bravo; Isla, Medel, Maripan, Mena; Vidal, Aranguiz, Pulgar; Jimenez; Meneses, Vargas.

Brazil has been hit harder than Chile by the United Kingdom's coronavirus restrictions, with captain Thiago Silva, goalkeepers Alisson and Ederson, as well as forwards Roberto Firmino and Gabriel Jesus not able to join up with the squad.

This has allowed head coach Tite to introduce some new faces onto the roster, including Benfica's Guilherme Arana, Marseille's Gerson and new Atletico Madrid signing Matheus Cunha.

The main talking point is the return of 35-year-old Hulk, who has not featured for Brazil since 2016.

Predicted Brazil starting XI: Weverton; Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Militao, Sandro; Casemiro, Guimaraes; Ribeiro, Paqueta, Neymar; Barbosa.

Last five results

Head-to-head

The United States men's national team will look to get their Qatar 2022 World Cup CONCACAF qualifiers off to a winning start against El Salvador at Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador.

Watch El Salvador vs USMNT on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

Fresh from their Gold Cup triumph, the Stars and Stripes travel to face La Selecta in the opening stage of the third - and final - round of the road to next year's showpiece tournament.

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news & rosters

*denotes uncapped player

It will be four decades next year since La Selecta last competed in the game's showpiece tournament, finishing stone-cold last at Spain 1982 - and they'll face a fight to end that absence from the world stage too.

Hugo Perez, promoted this year to the top job, will take heart that their defeats to Qatar and Mexico at the Gold Cup were narrow losses - but there is little room for error now.

Predicted El Salvador starting XI:  Gonzalez; Tamacas, Zavaleta, Gomez, Larin; Ceren, Roldan, Moreno; Perez, Rivas, Henriquez.

*denotes uncapped player

With just one loss to their name since a draw with Wales last November - a narrow reverse against Switzerland in May - the Stars and Stripes have been tough to put down under Gregg Berhalter's watch in recent months.

That form is surely set to carry across into their first qualifier for Qatar, with a fearsome squad of domestic and international talent - though several of the latter will miss out on this clash.

Predicted USMNT starting XI: Turner; Brooks, M. Robinson, Sands, Bello; Roldan, Acosta, Lletget; Reyna, De la Fuente, Pepi.

Last five results

Head-to-head