Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE Government is stepping up efforts to modernise existing sports facilities and construct new stadia that meet FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards, building on the recent homologation of the National Sports Stadium (NSS) in Harare.
The development follows CAF’s decision last month to grant the National Sports Stadium Category Three certification, paving the way for Zimbabwe to once again host international football matches after a five-year absence.
The refurbished facility made its return to continental football on Sunday when Zimbabwean champions Scottland FC hosted Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs in a CAF Champions League encounter.
The approval ended a five-year ban on hosting international matches at home.
Under CAF certification guidelines, Category Three status allows a country to host Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup group-stage and quarter-final matches, with capacity restrictions.
Initial events since the reopening, including Sunday’s match featuring Zimbabwean champions Scottland, have operated with a partial crowd limit of 15 000 as renovations continue.
Zimbabwe will kick-start its Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with an away fixture against Sierra Leone on September 24 in Morocco, before hosting the Democratic Republic of Congo on September 28.
The Warriors were drawn in Group E for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers alongside DR Congo, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea.
Government remains committed in ensuring that the country has more FIFA-compliant football facilities beyond the National Sports Stadium.
In an interview in Mutare on Monday, Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Minister, Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, said the nation is excited to finally host international matches at home.
“As a nation and as Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, we are so happy, very excited and very grateful that our football clubs are now playing their continental matches at home. In the recent past they were using facilities from neighbouring because of the difficulties and challenges we were facing.
“As a ministry, we worked very hard, supervised the renovations and modernisation of the National Sports Stadium. We started off with a test match some two months ago. Eventually, on Sunday, the regional match between Scottland and a club from Eswatini was played at the National Sports Stadium,” he said.
Amid the euphoria, Sanyatwe said Government will meet the November 30 deadline set by CAF for the completion of outstanding renovations.
“Although this time around the nation was very happy, excited that we are now playing our matches back at home, we still have one or two things to tie up. There are some finishing works that need to be done. We were given November 30 as the deadline to finalise everything, of which we promise that we will be able to meet the deadline, and hoping to host again the match between our Warriors and the Democratic Republic of Congo, towards the end of the month,” he said.
Sanyatwe said efforts to expand the number of compliant facilities are already underway across the country.
“It is not only about the National Sports Stadium. As a country and as a ministry, we are working flat out so that we should have many more other facilities around the country that meet the standards laid by CAF or FIFA for international matches,” he said.
He said CAF inspectors have already inspected other stadiums, including Chahwanda Stadium in Kwekwe, where they listed grey areas that need to be addressed before certification.
Government has also invited private partners with resources to construct state-of-the-art stadia.
“We have invited individuals who are resourced to chip in and construct state-of-the-art stadia. We already have Scottland Football Club that is currently constructing a world class stadium in Mabvuku. When I visited the place, the B Arena was already done and Scottland is practicing there. The hotel and other facilities at the stadium are already operational. What remains is the actual construction of the stadium itself which also is being done, according to the briefing I received from a consultant from Liverpool,” said Sanyatwe.
A further project is planned at the New Government City, where FIFA is expected to fund the construction.
“We also secured another piece of land at the New Government City where FIFA, the world football governing body, is ready to fund the construction of another stadium. Last time we had visitors from FIFA, and had the opportunity to take them around the piece of land availed to the ministry for the purpose of constructing the stadium. They are now in the process of unlocking funding to support the construction of the facilities. A lot more is expected to come,” said Sanyatwe.
