Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
THE National Sports Stadium has been granted Confederation of African Football (CAF) Category 3 approval following a major refurbishment supported by Sakunda Holdings, clearing the way for Zimbabwe to host international matches at the giant facility.
The refurbishment, which included the installation of 55 000 bucket seats and rehabilitation of the main arena pitch, cost about US$12.5 million, according to minutes gleaned.
The stadium’s certification is expected to save Zimbabwe at least US$500 000 per international match that would otherwise have to be staged outside the country.
The Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture had initially received a quotation of up to US$17 million for the bucket-seat installation before Sakunda Holdings pledged to fund the refurbishment.
The scope of the Sakunda-supported works included 55 000 bucket seats, a facelift of the changing rooms and ablution facilities, rehabilitation of the pitch and work on the athletes’ tracks.
Sakunda spent approximately US$9.7 million on the bucket seats and other works, while US$1.2 million was spent on the pitch rehabilitation, which was critical to securing international certification.
In a statement, Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Lt General (Retired) Anselem Sanyatwe acknowledged Sakunda’s contribution to the stadium’s modernisation.
“The Ministry also wishes to place on record its profound appreciation to Sakunda Holdings for its invaluable support towards the upgrading and modernisation of the National Sports Stadium,” he said.
Lt General Sanyatwe added: “Sakunda Holdings has played a significant role in the modernisation of the stadium pitch and the installation of bucket seats, interventions which have substantially enhanced the functionality, aesthetics and overall spectator experience at the national facility.”
The CAF Category 3 approval follows a recent technical inspection and progress on priority works at the stadium.
The approval allows the National Sports Stadium, subject to the specific requirements of each competition, to host CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup group-stage and quarter-final matches, as well as Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and FIFA World Cup qualifiers and other competitions applicable to Category 3 stadia.
The upgraded stadium now has 55 000 standard seats, 4 000 VIP seats, 980 VVIP seats, 20 Presidential seats and 92 media seats and tables.
The works also included a retractable players’ tunnel, four sets of movable dugouts and a stadium-wide seat and row numbering system.
CAF acknowledged the efforts by the Government of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Football Association in addressing observations raised during its inspection, while rating the pitch among the best on the continent.
The project followed a benchmarking exercise by a steering committee, which toured leading stadiums in Spain and Germany in June 2023.
It was implemented in two phases, with the first focusing on the installation of bucket seats, VIP and VVIP seating and upgrades to the media tribune, among other works.
Phase Two focused on the full rehabilitation of the main arena pitch.
The project was handed over to the Government on May 19.
