The Confederation of African Football (CAF) condemned that both the National Sports Stadium and Rufaro Stadium are not fit for hosting international football matches.
The football federation has once again declared the stadiums as unsuitable to host international football matches. CAF raised the prospect that the Warriors might be forced to play their home games in a foreign country, especially in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in June.
The concern was conveyed in a letter by CAF’s Technical Development Director – Raul Chipenda, which he represented to ZIFA Normalisation Committee Chairperson – Lincoln Mutasa.
As per the sources, the letter followed inspection visits which were conducted at the end of the year 2023.
In the letter, Chipenda stated, “With reference to the stadium general inspection conducted by CAF in Zimbabwe to assess the National Sports Stadium (Harare) and Rufaro Stadium (Harare), based on the inspection report, we regret to inform you that both stadiums do not meet the set CAF stadium minimum requirements to host CAF international matches.”
As per the reports, the letter highlights the major areas of concern, such as:
- Field of play
- Stands and spectator facilities
- Competition areas
- Media and medical facilities
The report emphasised the need for a complete renovation to meet modern football stadium standards. The report also included the issues that were focused on the stadiums’ functionality, design, comfort and quality of equipment.
According to CAF, the National Sports Stadium is facing a similar condition when inspected last time. The ongoing refurbishment work on Rufaro Stadium is not completely aligned with the requirements of the CAF.
Director Chipenda said that certain structural errors and deficiencies might have been avoided if CAF had consulted since the inception of the project.
Reportedly, Harare City Council Mayor – Jacob Mafume assured that Rufaro Stadium had been renovated to meet world-class standards by the end of Feb 2024.
However, CAF recommends that the 61-year-old facility be demolished and rebuilt to conform to international requirements.
The condemnation puts the national team and the local clubs at risk of playing their CAF matches outside the country in Foreign Stadiums.
Considering the same, Chipenda further warned, “As it stands, it is important to underline that there is a high risk that at the end of the ongoing renovation works in Rufaro Stadium, might fail to comply with the minimum requirements to host some of the CAF competitions.”
“We would like to highlight that the overall stadium situation in Zimbabwe remains critical, and in case the standards do not improve in the near future, the national teams and clubs will have to continue to play their CAF matches in an approved stadium outside of your territory,” warned Chipenda.
As a result, now the football community of Zimbabwe are raising concerns about the future of the national team. Moreover, the local clubs may now seek alternative venues outside the country to fulfil the continental football obligations.