Zimbabwe Faces Stadium Setback Ahead of Crucial World Cup Qualifiers

Zimbabwe’s hopes of hosting home matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers have been dealt a significant blow, as renovations at the National Sports Stadium (NSS) remain incomplete with only weeks to go before the Warriors’ next scheduled fixture.

The Warriors are set to face Rwanda in a crucial Group C qualifier on Tuesday, September 9, at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, with kickoff scheduled for 3 PM CAT. The match, originally planned as a home game for Zimbabwe, will now be played across the border due to ongoing infrastructural shortcomings at the country’s main sporting facility.

The National Sports Stadium was declared unfit to host international matches in 2021 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), citing failure to meet required international standards. Since then, all home fixtures for national teams have been held outside the country.

Despite repeated assurances from government officials and the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) that the stadium would be ready to host matches this year, progress has been slow.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, in his Mid-term Budget Review presented to Parliament on Thursday, admitted that key renovation milestones remain incomplete.

“Reconstruction works on the pitch are at 40% completion, with the old turf removed and groundwork for the new turf underway,” said Minister Ncube. “Installation of bucket seats is nearing completion at 90%, while turnstiles at Gate 1 and cabling for venue operating systems have been finalized. The restoration of the water reticulation system is still ongoing.”

His remarks cast fresh doubt on earlier commitments made by Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Anselem Sanyatwe and ZIFA President Nqobile Magwizi, who had pledged that the Warriors would return to play on home soil in 2025.

With less than six weeks until the fixture, logistical challenges and construction delays have forced ZIFA to seek alternative venues once again. South Africa, which has hosted Zimbabwe’s previous qualifiers, is now poised to remain the team’s de facto home base.

The Warriors are also scheduled to play Benin on September 1, with the location yet to be confirmed. Their final home fixture in the group is against South Africa on October 6—raising fears that the entire World Cup qualifying campaign could pass without a single match played in Zimbabwe.

Football fans and analysts have expressed frustration over the prolonged stadium rehabilitation process, calling for greater urgency and accountability from authorities to ensure the country regains its hosting rights for international fixtures.

As the team pushes for a spot in the 2026 World Cup, the absence of a true home advantage continues to be a critical setback for Zimbabwean football.

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