A DECISION on whether Nyamhunga Stadium in Kariba is fit to host Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches this season will be made early next week when the Zifa Grounds Committee led by PSL chairman Twine Phiri visits the resort town.
BY HENRY MHARA
Reports had suggested that Phiri and his team would be in Kariba yesterday to inspect the facility, but he told NewsDaySport that the trip had been postponed to next week due to other pressing commitments.
If completed, the stadium would be used by PSL side ZPC Kariba. “We will go and inspect the stadium next week on Tuesday. We understand that there has been progress to the renovations as per our recommendations and the specifications we want. If the reports are true and they have done what we have recommended them to do, then we will have to open the stadium for use for PSL games,” Phiri said.
“We could not go this week because of other commitments here. Some of the guys who are in the committee are currently in Bulawayo for the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair so we will have to inspect the stadium next week.”
The stadium could not host league matches last year because there were renovations that needed to be done, especially to do with the construction of the VIP stands, dressing rooms, the security wall and increasing the seating capacity to the recommended 5 000 seats. This forced ZPC Kariba to adopt Gwanzura Stadium in Harare as their home ground.
Kariba Town Council and ZPC officials said they were almost done with the renovations and were ready to have their work scrutinised by the grounds committee.
“We are quite sure unless someone changes goal posts because we have done what they told us to do. We are almost through in attending to the issues raised, that is increasing the seating capacity to 5 000, construction of secure VIP stands with VIP toilets and compacting the ground as recommended,” Kariba Town council housing director Godfrey Magijani told NewsDay on Tuesday.
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If Nyamhunga pass the test, as is now hugely expected, it would be massive news to ZPC Kariba who feels they are not enjoying home support for their home matches.
They argue that, had they played their home matches in Kariba, they could have easily won the title last season.
ZPC Kariba were most painfully elbowed out of the title by Dynamos on the last day of the season. If passed fit, Nyamhunga will become the second stadium to be reconstructed to PSL standards in the last four years after FC Platinum razed down about 98% of Mandava Stadium to build a state-of-the-art facility in Zvishavane.
Other stadiums that were recently renovated to meet the standards are Sakubva in Mutare and Vengere in Rusape, the home of Buffaloes and Dongo Sawmill respectively.
There were also major renovations to Bulawayo Stadiums Barbourfields, Luveve and White City last year in the countdown to the Africa Union Sports Council Region Five Games which the country hosted.
