Zimbabwe faces another stadium setback ahead of September AFCON qualifiers
Zimbabwe’s hopes of having the National Sports Stadium ready to host international football have suffered another setback, with the country once again facing the prospect of playing its September matches on foreign soil. The development means Zimbabwe could enter the September international window without a fully CAF-approved stadium capable of hosting the Warriors’ first two […] The post Zimbabwe faces another stadium setback ahead of September AFCON qualifiers appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
Black News 
Zimbabwe’s hopes of having the National Sports Stadium ready to host international football have suffered another setback, with the country once again facing the prospect of playing its September matches on foreign soil.
The development means Zimbabwe could enter the September international window without a fully CAF-approved stadium capable of hosting the Warriors’ first two AFCON qualifying matches.
According to an approved stadium list released by CAF on Monday, Zimbabwe was missing from the list of countries with homologated stadiums.
The latest setback has also forced Scottland to settle for the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown, Botswana, as its home ground for their CAF Champions League preliminary round match against Nsingisini, scheduled for the second week of September.
The National Sports Stadium has been undergoing a major rehabilitation programme aimed at bringing the facility back to international standards after it was banned from hosting CAF matches in 2021.
Earlier this year, Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture Minister Anselem Sanyatwe said renovations had entered their final phase, with the football pitch completed, and assured that the giant facility would be ready for the Warriors’ next home matches.
The government had earlier indicated that the stadium was approaching reopening, and an operational test match was held on May 31 as part of the process towards commissioning the facility.
However, with the September international window fast approaching, Zimbabwe appears set to continue its nomadic existence, with the giant facility yet to meet the required targets.
Zimbabwe’s senior national football teams have been forced to adopt foreign stadiums since 2023, following the lifting of the country’s FIFA suspension.
The last time the Warriors played an international match on home soil was in 2021.
The post Zimbabwe faces another stadium setback ahead of September AFCON qualifiers appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
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