The Zimbabwe national football team will have to secure a stadium in a foreign country as their home ground when the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Group C matches recommence in June this year.
The Warriors hosted Nigeria in their first home game in Rwanda last November after CAF deemed all the local stadiums not fit to host international matches.
The Warriors will face Lesotho and South Africa in their next World Cup Qualifiers amid indications that little progress has been made on renovating the available stadiums thus far.
ZIFA Normalisation Committee president Lincoln Mutasa said that they have already started looking for a stadium outside the country to host the upcoming international games. Mutasa said, as quoted by ZBC:
<blockquote>
We are in a serious crisis given the time frames. We have since started finding an alternative venue and we will inform the nation on the outcome.
Most of the facilities are council owned and given council problems, it will be difficulty to see local authorities give priority to stadium facilities, hence we have advised local teams to reach out to councils and acquire land for stadium construction.
</blockquote>
The stadium crisis will also affect local clubs, Ngezi Platinum Stars and Dynamos who will represent Zimbabwe in Confederation of African Football (CAF) club competitions.
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Pindula News

Warriors Likely To Play Next World Cup Qualifiers On Foreign Soil Again

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has approached the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) seeking permission to use the National Sports Stadium (NSS).
The PSL intends to stage midweek fixtures but there are concerns that the stadiums currently in use may be over-used.
NSS was closed in June this year due to the deteriorating state of the playing pitch, and water reticulation system challenges.
At the time, a total of eight teams were using the National Sports Stadium for their home matches and the closure of the facility forced the clubs to look for other home venues outside Harare.
PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele told <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/sport/article/200016284/psl-approaches-src-over-nss">NewsDay</a> that they are seeking permission to use the stadium after it recently hosted a number of national and private events, including two football matches.
NSS hosted the ZDF Cup final match featuring the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Select against Malawi on 15 August, and the Presidential Inauguration Cup on 04 September. Said Ndebele:
<blockquote>
We have written to the SRC to check on the availability of the National Sports Stadium given that it has hosted some events in recent times. We are hoping that we will get a positive response.
With the stadia that are available, we have a challenge of having mid-week fixtures because the facilities will be over-used.
If we can get either the National Sports Stadium or Rufaro Stadium or even both, then that will be perfect.
We are happy that we now have an approved facility in Chisumbanje (Green Fuel Arena) but due to its location, it does not alleviate the problem of Barbourfields and Bata stadiums.
</blockquote>
Bata Stadium, located in Gweru, Midlands Province, serves as the home venue for Sheasham, CAPS United and Black Rhinos.
Dynamos are now hosting their matches at Barbourfields Stadium, the home of arch-rivals, Highlanders.
Cranborne Bullets and ZPC Kariba use Nyamhunga Stadium in Kariba while Herentals College and FC Platinum are using Mandava Stadium.
Simba Bhora and Ngezi Platinum Stars use Baobab Stadium in Mhondoro while Mutare-based Manica Diamonds and Triangle United use Gibbo Stadium in Triangle.
Hwange use the Colliery Stadium in Hwange, Chicken Inn and Bulawayo Chiefs use Luveve Stadium, while Greenfuel use the Greenfuel Arena which was recently homologated.
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PSL Approaches SRC Over National Sports Stadium

Former Warriors coach Norman Mapeza says the issue of stadiums needs to be addressed before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 African Qualifiers to ensure that the Warriors play their home matches at home.
The FC Platinum coach, who was the last national team coach before FIFA suspended Zimbabwe from international football in early 2022, when he took to the Warriors to the 2021 AFCON finals in Cameroon, said the country’s stadium crisis worries him.
Speaking ahead of his side’s Castle Lager Premier Soccer League game against Yadah at Mandava Stadium on Saturday, <a href="https://www.soccer24.co.zw/2023/07/14/the-stadia-issue-needs-to-be-fixed-first/">Mapeza said</a>:
<blockquote>
I’m still worried if you look at our stadiums issue at the moment. I understand the games will be played in November.
I was reading the paper today (yesterday) and our Minister of Sport (Kirsty Coventry) said maybe within the next three or four weeks, the National Sports Stadium will be done.
So it means maybe the bucket seats will be there because it will be unfortunate for us to get the reprieve but we end up relocating to South Africa to play our World Cup qualifiers there.
People want to watch football, look at the support the cricket team was getting. We also need that type of support in our football.
The stadia issue needs to be fixed first then maybe we can start saying: “We are back in it now.”
But for the time being, it’s still a 50-50 situation. We are in, but where are we going to play the football?
But apart from that, I think everybody is happy, we are all excited that we have been given the reprieve and we just hope everything goes well for us.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe were placed in Group C in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers in the draw held in the Ivory Coast on Thursday.
The group also has Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Rwanda and Lesotho.
The group winners will automatically qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States and Mexico.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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