Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Confederation of African Football (Caf) inspection team of Derek Blackensee and football legend Mark Fish completed the first leg of assessing Zimbabwe’s stadia with a visit to Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
Fish who spoke to the media while Blackensee got straight to business was charmed with the structural setup of Barbourfields, as well as the work that is being done to make sure that the facility meets the Caf and Fifa requirements.
After completing the first phase of inspection ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers that kickoff in September, the Caf team will return for the final assessment in August.
“I am excited to be here. The bigger picture is that we hardly improve football on the continent and there is many ways we can talk about development, actual technical things on the field and off the field. But this (stadium inspection) is a big part of Caf’s initiative to make sure that we improve football on the continent.
“We don’t compare facilities we tour because each country and its stadiums have their own unique pros and cons. Unfortunately, for you guys (Zimbabwe) a hand was imposed on you (Caf banning Zimbabwe’s Stadiums for Algeria game), but if you look at it the other way, certain things probably needed to change and it looks like everything is happening at the stadium. It looks like Government got involved and they understand the importance of football, especially to the passionate Bulawayo people. It is important to have a world-class stadium so that the fans can watch their national teams,” said Fish.
The former Bafana Bafana captain said: “From a footballer’s perspective, Barbourfields Stadium is unique in the sense that you have supporters closer to the pitch which is exciting. Some stadiums in Africa are multi-purpose facilities, with athletics tracks and there’s a big gap between footballers and the fans.”
He believes creating world-class facilities will bring world-class entertainment and afford sub-Saharan countries to effectively compete at the world stage.
Fish said Caf is using former footballers so that they check if the playing surface is “playable, dressing rooms are okay” as well as assist the Caf inspector on “certain things that they require from footballers.”
Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela hailed Government and Bulawayo City Council’s involvement in sprucing Barbourfields Stadium.
Government extended a $13 million loan to BCC for refurbishment of the venue.
“Since the ‘ban’, we’ve seen so much progress at the National Sports Stadium and Barbourfields Stadium. We’ve seen various equipment being purchased to make sure the stadiums are uplifted and hopefully, once the work is done the stadium will be homologated. This is a World Cup qualifying inspection and high standards are expected, but once we meet the requirements, the stadiums will be homologated,” said Gwesela. – @ZililoR
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