Zimbabwe’s stadia crisis game changer, Chahwanda Stadium, is set to open its doors in style on Sunday with a blockbuster Castle Lager Premier Soccer League clash pitting PSL newbies, Hardrock FC, against Scottland FC, fronted by Khama Billiat and Knowledge Musona.
While the former Kaizer Chiefs duo of Billiat and Musona are natural crowd-pullers, it is the state-of-the-art Chawanda Stadium that has brought so much excitement and buzz to the country.
Chahwanda Stadium, home to Hardrock FC, a team recently promoted to Zimbabwe’s PSL, has brought so much hope to Zimbabwe, whose football facilities have been in a sorry state for a long time.
The last time an international match was played in Zimbabwe was in November 2021, when The Warriors played their last game of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia.
After that, Orlando Stadium [Amstel Arena], Moses Mabhida Stadium, the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, and the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Botswana have hosted The Warriors and club representatives in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
However, Chahwanda Stadium, which has already undergone a preliminary CAF inspection, is set to change the narrative.
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What’s special is that the stadium’s debut match, also Hardrock FC’s first game at home, is a Zim PSL season-opener against Scottland FC — the 2025 champions whose big spending has drawn comparisons to Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Harare-based side, Scottland FC, has already shown their intentions after thrashing Dynamos 5-0 in the Castle Challenge Cup, a 2026 season curtain-raiser.
Billiat, Knowledge Musona, and Walter Musona scored in the match played at the Rufaro Stadium on Sunday, 1 March. They will be hoping to keep up the same momentum going into the season.
However, they will be the first to admit that the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matchday one fixture will be a different affair, as Hardrock FC will also be seeking to make a statement of intent in their brand-new home. Meanwhile, the official opening by Zimbabwe president Emmerson Mnangagwa has been postponed to a later date. —FarPost