Former Kaizer Chiefs star striker Knowledge Musona has been ruled out of Zimbabwe’s national side to face Bafana Bafana on 11 November.
Group G leaders South Africa will be at home in the World Cup 2022 qualifier against winless Zimbabwe’s injury-hit Warriors.
Musona – nicknamed “Silent Assassin” when he played for Kaizer Chiefs because of his prolific goal scoring – recently suffered a hamstring injury at his club Al-Tai in Saudi Arabia.
He missed their home game last Thursday.
Zimbabwe national team manager, Wellington Mpandare, said: “Knowledge is definitely out”.
Mpandare added: “He suffered a hamstring injury in training last week. I have been talking to him and he said doctors gave him 10 to 14 days to recover.”
Zimbabwe will play against Bafana at the FNB Stadium in a reverse qualifier before hosting Ethiopia.
On the other hand, Bafana travel to Ghana for a crucial qualifier next month, just three days after hosting Zimbabwe.
The absence of Musona and other foreign-based players won’t make a difference because Zimbabwe is out of contention for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar after failing to win a single match.
France-based midfielder Marshall Munetsi and Teenage Hadebe, who plays for Houston Dynamos in the US, are both injured and set to miss the final two qualifiers.
Interim Warriors coach Norman Mapeza is also without suspended central defender Alec Mudimu.
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Khama Billiat is expected to captain the depleted Zimbabwe squad against Bafana in the match which will be played at his club’s home ground.