Online Reporter
Mukudzei Chingwere, Zimpapers Sports Hub
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa wants the Warriors playing at home again and has pushed for Zimbabwe’s stadium crisis to be resolved without further excuses, Sport Minister Anselem Sanyatwe has said.
The Minister spoke to this publication after yesterday’s Post-Cabinet briefing, making it clear that the President will not accept any drift from the March 2026 deadline.
The Warriors head to their sixth Afcon finals later this month, a run built on matches played in foreign venues after the country’s stadiums were condemned. Cabinet revisited the matter yesterday and received an update on work at the 60 000-seater National Sports Stadium (NSS).
Minister Sanyatwe said timelines have been communicated and must be met.
“The President is quite uncomfortable with Zimbabwe playing international matches out of the country, and when the President says that, I know what it means. It means that the stadium must be completed and our teams start playing their home international matches at home.
“The renovations at the National Sports Stadium are at an advanced stage and I am very grateful for the progress made so far. However, I have personally witnessed the contractors working flat out day and night, and I have given them the deadline to complete all the refurbishment works. The stadium is supposed to be done by the beginning of the 2026 season. It should be before the beginning of the 2026 season, said Minister Sanyatwe.
The NSS and every other stadium in the country remain barred by Caf, forcing the Warriors and all Zimbabwean clubs in continental competitions to stage their home fixtures abroad.
The team prefers the NSS, a ground tied to some of its best memories, and has used Rufaro or Barbourfields in the past whenever the main venue has been shut. This time, though, both Harare and Bulawayo councils fell short on promises to fix their facilities, leaving the Warriors with no choice but to move their home games to foreign stadiums.
Government believes that chapter is close to ending. Cabinet received a progress report on the refurbishment work, which forms part of a wider plan to modernise sporting facilities and restore Zimbabwe’s ability to host international events.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said the Public-Private Partnership model had accelerated progress at the NSS.
“Through the Public-Private Partnership model, which was meant to accelerate refurbishment works, remarkable progress has been scored at the National Sports Stadium, including works on the pitch drainage, herbicide application, with lawn planting expected to commence soon. B Arena drainage works are also in progress. Overall progress on other works, including electricals, is at 90 percent,” said Dr Muswere
With the President pushing from the top and Government tightening timelines, authorities believe the Warriors could soon return home for good.
