dyton mupawaenda
Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter
THE National Sports Stadium this week will not have time to rest as it is set to host five Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches inside six days.
The venue, which currently provides home ground for eight teams, almost half the number of teams in the 18-team league, faces the danger of wearing out due to overuse.
Black Rhinos and Ngezi Platinum Stars kicked off a busy week yesterday and paved the way for a marathon of games to take place in four consecutive days starting tomorrow when Green Fuel visit another army side Cranborne Bullets.
Giants Dynamos will be involved in a low key derby with bogey side Herentals on Saturday. They will then pave the way for the clash between CAPS United and Hwange on Sunday. Rhinos will return at the same venue on Monday for their game against ZPC Kariba.
Ironically, Rhinos will be the away team. ZPC Kariba’s Nyamhunga Stadium, which has been their home ground since the club got promoted a decade ago, failed the inspection test and was condemned for the season.
So the team has been shuttling between Harare and Kariba, covering a combined distance of 700km to and fro, for their home games this season.
Rhinos, although based in Harare, had initially wanted to play their home games in Chinhoyi but their proposed venue Chinhoyi Stadium also failed the inspection test.
Chauya Chipembere and their sister club Cranborne Bullets shared Vengere Stadium last season but the Rusape stadium was condemned this season and both teams had to relocate back to Harare, where there is only one functional stadium.
The fixture congestion at the giant facility is inevitable, as the National Sports Stadium is home to eight Premiership teams that include CAPS United, Dynamos, Yadah, Herentals, ZPC Kariba, Simba Bhora, Black Rhinos and Cranborne Bullets.
Since the start of the season two months ago, the ground has hosted not less than three games per week on average, due to the jam caused by the inadequate facilities.
PSL chairman Farai Jere is worried by the fixture congestion at the National Sports Stadium. But there is renewed hope that Rufaro Stadium, which had been closed for the past four years, could provide relief as the renovations taking place at the stadium are now advanced.
The City Council, who are the owners for the facility, have assured the domestic football fraternity that the ground will be ready for use by May 31.
“We are having four or five games being played at the National Sports Stadium every week and that is not good for that facility,” said Jere.
“So we are very happy with the progress at Rufaro and by the end of the month we look forward to coming back here and watching our beautiful game at the ceremonial home of football.
“Of course, all the other cosmetics will be finished while we are using the stadium. We really need it as soon as possible.
“We are happy the critical aspects mentioned by the FIB are being attended to and we are quite confident by the end of the month Rufaro will be opened to the fans,” said Jere.
Experts at Sports Fields Solutions have explained that when the pitch gets more than its fair share of use, as is the case with the National Sports Stadium, it doesn’t give the grass enough time to grow and regenerate. In the end the grass dies or the pitch hardens, posing risk of injuries to players.
“Imagine a soccer field with thinning grass at midfield, dirt patches in the goalmouths, and dead yellow splotches throughout the entire field. Ugly.
“All of these are the result of field overuse and insufficient maintenance. Dozens of cleats trample the grass on a daily basis, causing soil compaction. This occurs mostly in high-traffic areas like midfield, sidelines, and goalmouths.
“Soil compaction is when soil particles are compressed into a smaller volume. This decreases the pore space (the space between particles) and causes many problems:
“Water cannot infiltrate the soil. The roots won’t get the water they need, and pools of water will form on the field. Grass growth will be limited because it is essentially experiencing a drought.
“The roots can’t grow because the soil is too condensed. Oxygen and other nutrients cannot flow throughout the soil. Without nutrients, the grass will start to thin out and die.”
However, high-level maintenance takes more time and effort but allows for more playing time without ruining the grass.
Premiership new boys Simba Bhora were also forced to play at the National Sports Stadium as renovations are yet to complete at their Wadzanayi Stadium in Shamva.
The club’s spokesperson Charles Nyatsine yesterday told The Herald that they are only expecting to return to play in Shamva in the second half of the season.
He said they missed deadlines due to unforeseen challenges.
“There have been some challenges but, of late, the club president has committed himself to speed up the work after some local fans lobbied him and also offered to assist.
“So the focus now is on the second half of the season. There is a lot of work that has been taking place on the ground so we don’t just want to rush things because of pressure. We need to do the right things to make sure the ground will meet all the FIFA and CAF standards,” said Nyatsine.
Simba Bhora have encountered a difficult start in their maiden Premiership season and they have partly attributed that to the deprivation of home advantage. They also claimed they were losing out on gate takings.
“After a series of draws and losses, the fans are getting agitated. They want the team to play at Wadzanayi and they have been pushing for that.
“There is a belief that the traveling to play home games in Harare has contributed to the team’s poor results. The fans are not happy having to travel all the time.
“We have been playing at Wadzanayi since 2008 and it always makes a difference when you have your home fans rallying behind the team.
“Moreover, some of the fans are unable to travel. The number of people making it to the National Sports Stadium is far below the crowds that we had when we played in Division One last season, and were charging the same US$2 entrance.
“Right now we can talk of only 700 or so fans. Financially, it does make a big difference playing at Wadzanayi than at the National Sports Stadium,” said Nyatsine.
Fixtures:
Tomorrow: Cranborne Bullets v Green Fuel (NSS)
Saturday: Herentals v Dynamos (NSS), Bulawayo Chiefs v Sheasham (Luveve), Manica Diamonds v Chicken Inn (Gibbo)
Sunday: CAPS United v Hwange (NSS), Triangle v Yadah (Gibbo), Highlanders v Simba Bhora (Barbourfields), Ngezi Platinum Stars v FC Platinum (Baobab)
Monday: ZPC Kariba v Black Rhinos (NSS)
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