National Sports Stadium secured Confederation of African Football Category 3 approval following a US$12.5 million refurbishment supported by Sakunda Holdings.
The approval clears the Harare venue to host Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA World Cup qualifiers, as well as CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup group-stage and quarter-final matches, subject to the requirements of each competition.
Zimbabwe’s national teams have played several home fixtures outside the country since the stadium lost approval to host international matches, imposing additional travel and accommodation costs on football authorities while denying supporters the opportunity to watch the Warriors at home.
Sakunda financed extensive work at the stadium, including the installation of bucket seats, rehabilitation of the main pitch and improvements to changing rooms, ablution facilities, spectator sections and VIP areas.
Approximately US$9.7 million was spent on seating and associated works, while about US$1.2 million went towards restoring the playing surface.
The Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture said the private-sector intervention significantly reduced the financial burden on the Government.
Authorities had reportedly received a quotation of as much as US$17 million for bucket seats alone before Sakunda supported the broader refurbishment programme.
Sport Minister Lieutenant-General (Retired) Anselem Sanyatwe praised the company’s contribution to the rehabilitation of the country’s largest stadium.
“The Ministry also wishes to place on record its profound appreciation to Sakunda Holdings for its invaluable support towards the upgrading and modernisation of the National Sports Stadium,” Sanyatwe said.
He said Sakunda’s investment in the pitch and seating had “substantially enhanced the functionality, aesthetics and overall spectator experience” at the facility.
The refurbished stadium now contains 55,000 standard seats, 4,000 VIP seats, 980 VVIP seats, 20 Presidential seats and 92 seats and tables reserved for the media.
Other improvements include a retractable players’ tunnel, four movable dugouts and a stadium-wide seat and row-numbering system intended to improve crowd management and the match-day experience.
The Category 3 approval followed a CAF technical inspection and progress in addressing deficiencies previously identified at the venue. The Ministry said the rehabilitated playing surface had received a favourable assessment, although individual matches will still require compliance with applicable competition and safety conditions.
The rehabilitation was implemented in two phases following a benchmarking visit to stadiums in Spain and Germany by a project steering committee in June 2023.
The first phase concentrated on standard, VIP and VVIP seating and improvements to the media tribune. The second covered the full rehabilitation of the main pitch. The completed project was handed over to the Government on May 19, 2026.
While the approval marks an important step, authorities will need to maintain the pitch, seating, security systems and other facilities to prevent the stadium from again falling below international standards.
The return of international football is expected to reduce the cost of staging nominal home matches abroad and restore home advantage for Zimbabwean clubs and national teams.
It will also allow local supporters, vendors and other businesses within Harare’s football economy to benefit from major continental fixtures.
The Category 3 approval represents a major breakthrough for Zimbabwean football after years without an internationally approved primary national venue.
