Online Reporter
Blessing Malinganiza-Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Warriors are set to have an easier task of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON finals than was the case in their campaign for the 2025 edition of the tournament.
After being drawn in the same group with DRC, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone in the qualifiers for the PAMOJA tournament, the Warriors task is set to be easier, this time around.
The biggest factor at play is the possibility that the Warriors will play their home games at their spiritual home – the National Sports Stadium.
The first round matches are set for September.
By then, the giant stadium should be in full swing, in terms of hosting local games, and CAF inspectors are now likely to give the stadium the greenlight to host international matches.
After a lengthy ban, the refurbished giant stadium is undergoing the final homologation checks, and the Government and its partners have already made significant progress to make it pass the test.
The newly-installed hybrid turf, bucket seats, and renovated changing rooms should all help the giant stadium get the greenlight to host international matches once again.
There is a generation of new Warriors players who have never played an AFCON or World Cup qualifier at home.
For them, home games meant matches which were played in South Africa and Rwanda.
In football, playing at home is believed to offer the hosts and advantage.
There is also the passion of the home fans, which the players can feed from, especially when the going gets tough.
Sport Minister, Anselem Sanyatwe, has been at the forefront of the push to end the Warriors’ homelessness.
During the official handover of the bucket seats at the refurbished facility by Sakunda Holdings, Sanyatwe made it clear that the days of playing abroad are numbered, describing the stadium as more than just a sports ground.
“The National Sports Stadium is more than just a sporting facility, it is a national symbol that carries the aspirations and identity of Zimbabwean football,” said Sanyatwe.
He highlighted the painful economic and emotional cost of the ban, noting that for years, the nation’s teams were forced into an unsustainable situation.
“For years, our national teams and clubs were forced into the painful and costly reality of playing home matches outside the country.
“This refurbishment restores confidence in our sporting infrastructure,” he said.
Sanyatwe also revealed that a CAF delegation is expected in the country soon to conduct a final inspection, adding that the Government is confident the new upgrades will pass the test.
“We are optimistic that the upcoming CAF inspection will confirm that the stadium now meets the required standards for continental and international football,” he said.
The reopening of the National Sports Stadium is also expected to significantly ease the congestion and pressure on Rufaro, which has been the primary venue for top-flight matches in Harare.
Rufaro has struggled to accommodate the surge in demand, with more than three clubs using it as their home ground in the top-flight league.
