The state of football stadiums in southern Zimbabwe has become a growing concern that demands urgent attention from authorities, administrators and stakeholders in the game. While efforts are being made to promote football development, infrastructure — the backbone of any thriving sporting industry — continues to lag behind.
Recent reports that the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) is considering constructing a new stadium in Victoria Falls are encouraging. Zifa president Nqobile Magwizi is said to have met the city’s leadership to explore the possibility of building a state-of-the-art facility. Such initiatives are timely, particularly as Zimbabwe prepares a joint bid with South Africa and Botswana to co-host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2028.
However, the country’s current stadium situation paints a worrying picture. Zimbabwean national teams have in recent years been forced to play home matches outside the country after the Confederation of African Football banned several local venues for failing to meet international standards.
Among the affected facilities is Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo, once regarded as one of the nation’s most iconic football grounds.
The start of the new Premier Soccer League season exposed further weaknesses. A match between Dynamos and TelOne had to be moved to an early morning kickoff after Ascot Stadium became waterlogged, yet even then the pitch remained largely unplayable.
Similar scenes unfolded at Gibbo Stadium where the match between Manica Diamonds and Simba Bhora was played on a soaked surface.
In Bulawayo, the situation is hardly better. Luveve Stadium remains unfit to host top-flight matches, leaving Barbourfields to accommodate three clubs, including Highlanders, Chicken Inn and Bulawayo Chiefs.
Encouragingly, newly promoted Hardrock has demonstrated what is possible with the construction of Chahwanda Stadium in Kwekwe. Such private initiatives should inspire similar investments across the region.
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Without proper stadiums, clubs from outside big cities would be forced to play home matches far from their communities, incurring significant travel costs and weakening local support.
If Zimbabwe is serious about restoring its football pride, rebuilding and modernising stadium infrastructure must become a national priority.
