The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
FORMER Warriors team manager Sharif Mussa has made a passionate appeal to corporates to help construct modern sports facilities that meet international standards.
There has been growing concern over the deterioration of most stadiums that used to stage Premier Soccer League games and Warriors international fixtures.
Zimbabwe currently does not have a stadium that is certified to host Confederation of African Football (CAF) assignments following the ban on the National Sports Stadium for failure to meet the continental body’s minimum requirements such as bucket seats and electronic turnstiles.
Before blacklisting the stadium, CAF had already imposed similar sanctions on venues like Barbourfields and Rufaro, while Gwanzura had long become decrepit.
Mussa, who is now a CAF-accredited match General Coordinator (GC), was in Lusaka, Zambia, on Sunday for a Confederation Cup assignment between hosts ZANACO and Libyan outfit Al Ahly Tripoli.
The Libyans emerged 3-2 winners in the encounter at Heroes Stadium.
Mussa was heavily involved in preparing and overseeing the encounter.
But what really charmed the former Warriors team manager were state-of-the-art facilities at the 50 000-seater Heroes Stadium, which was built at a cost of US$94 million.
It opened its doors for multi-purpose use in 2014. It was built by a Chinese company, which took 30 months to complete the project.
Although Mussa has travelled to several places either on Warriors, CAF or personal business, it is the development in Lusaka that is pushing him to plead with Zimbabweans to try and emulate their northern neighbours.
Although Zambia boasts another modern stadium — Levy Mwanawasa in Ndola — it also can afford to stage big international events at Heroes Stadium.
“From my many travels, I know the country that we have and the passion that we (Zimbabweans) have for our football and the players that we produce,” he said.
“But, if we measure it against the facilities that we should be having that could enhance and make us do better, we are really lagging behind and my heart really bleeds for our football.
“Really, by now, in this century and in 2022, we should be having state-of-the-art stuff with modern facilities that suit modern requirements.
“Gone are the days for Gwanzura and some such venues to be used for the national team.
“Those are for training now, maybe for schools, grassroots development, and not for the national team or clubs … competing in international competitions. Come on!’’
Mussa, who is also a member of the ZIFA First Instance Board that is responsible for inspecting and certifying local venues for use by domestic leagues, appealed to Government, the private sector and all the game’s stakeholders to come together and construct a modern stadium for the country.
“I plead with our stakeholders, Government included, to put things that match the international best practices that we are seeing elsewhere,’’ he said.
While venues such as Dzivaresekwa Stadium and Chibuku in Chitungwiza remain derelict, a glimmer of hope has filtered through for Rufaro Stadium following the intervention of Sakunda Holdings.
The energy giant, who have been granted a long lease of the stadium by Harare City Council, are set to refurbish it into a world-class facility.
Rufaro Stadium hosted the country’s first Independence celebrations in April 1980, where the Union Jack was lowered and the Zimbabwe flag was hoisted amid pomp and fanfare.
However, 42 years later, the facility has become an eyesore and symbol of ridicule.
