Harare, (New Ziana) – The long-awaited revival of the iconic National Sports Stadium reached a major milestone on Monday after Sakunda Holdings officially handed over the refurbished facility to the Zimbabwe government, ending years of uncertainty that had crippled local and international football.
The handover ceremony marked the culmination of an extensive renovation exercise undertaken after the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) in 2021 banned the stadium for failing to meet international standards.
The situation worsened in 2023 when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) also barred Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches from being played at the venue due to deteriorating infrastructure and safety concerns.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Lt General (Rtd) Anselem Sanyatwe praised Sakunda Holdings for going beyond its contractual obligations and restoring the country’s football pride.
“The National Sports Stadium is more than just a sporting facility, it is a national symbol that carries the aspirations and identity of Zimbabwean football,” he said.
“We are pleased with the quality of work that has been carried out by Sakunda Holdings. What began as a project centred on bucket seat installation transformed into a comprehensive rehabilitation program that addressed critical areas of concern identified by FIFA and CAF. Today, Zimbabwe has regained its premier football facility,” he added.
Sanyatwe said the government remained committed to ensuring that the stadium maintains international standards going forward.
“For years our national teams and clubs were forced into the painful and costly reality of playing home matches outside the country. This refurbishment restores confidence in our sporting infrastructure and demonstrates what can be achieved through partnerships between Government and the private sector,” he said.
He said part of the refurbishment included the establishment of a dedicated media section within the stadium stands to improve working conditions for journalists and broadcasters covering matches and major sporting events.
“We now have an improved media facility that meets modern match-day expectations, ensuring that journalists and broadcasters can effectively cover events from the stadium,” he said.
Sanyatwe further announced that a CAF delegation is expected in the country soon to conduct a final inspection of the facility as Zimbabwe seeks full clearance to host international matches again.
“We are optimistic that the upcoming CAF inspection will confirm that the stadium now meets the required standards for continental and international football,” he said.
Originally contracted to install bucket seats, Sakunda Holdings expanded the scope of works to include rehabilitation of the playing surface, renovation of players’ changing rooms, reconstruction of dugouts and tunnels, and improvements to other key sections of the stadium.
Speaking at the same function, Charles Chitambo, Sakunda chief operations manager said the company took the assignment as a national duty rather than a routine commercial contract.
“As Sakunda Holdings, we understood the emotional and sporting significance of the National Sports Stadium to Zimbabweans. Once we assessed the condition of the facility, we realised that simply installing bucket seats would not be enough to restore the stadium to acceptable international standards,” he said.
“We therefore made a deliberate decision to go beyond the initial scope of works by improving the pitch, refurbishing the changing rooms, upgrading the tunnels and dugouts, and addressing several structural issues. We are proud to have delivered a facility that Zimbabweans can once again be proud of,” he added.
Chitambo said the project was completed through close cooperation with government authorities, engineers and football administrators.
“Our teams worked tirelessly to ensure that every aspect of the refurbishment met the required benchmarks. We believe this stadium is now in a position to host high-profile football matches and other major sporting events,” he said.
Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president Nqobile Magwizi hailed the handover as a turning point for local football, saying domestic league matches would return to the venue before the end of the month.
“We want to thank Government, the Minister of Sport and Sakunda Holdings for their commitment towards restoring this important facility. This achievement is a victory for Zimbabwean football and for the supporters who have waited patiently for the reopening of the National Sports Stadium,” he said.
“The absence of a CAF-approved stadium affected our clubs, national teams and the overall development of the game. We are excited that local Premier Soccer League matches are expected to return here by the end of this month, while we continue engaging CAF on the final processes required for international matches,” he added.
The closure of the stadium had become one of the biggest crises in Zimbabwean football in recent years with the Warriors being forced to host international fixtures in neighbouring countries, while local clubs struggled to secure approved venues for continental competitions.
CAF and FIFA inspectors had repeatedly flagged concerns over poor seating, inadequate changing facilities, substandard media areas, unsafe tunnels and the deteriorating playing surface.
The reopening of the stadium is expected to significantly reduce costs associated with hosting matches outside the country while reigniting the atmosphere that once made the National Sports Stadium the heartbeat of Zimbabwean football.
New Ziana
