Innocent Kurira
Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO City Council has allocated US$2 million from its 2024 budget towards rehabilitating its stadia, with US$1 million set aside for work at Barbourfields Stadium in particular.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned Barbourfields Stadium from hosting international matches in 2020 due to a lack of required standards, but upgrades have since been made to air conditioning, refrigeration, changing rooms, dugouts, media facilities, meeting rooms, team benches, signage and lounge areas.
Work still needs to be carried out on floodlights, bucket seats, CCTV and turnstiles, and practice grounds.
Zimbabwe has no stadium capable of hosting international matches.
“Under social amenities, council will continue refurbishing community halls, youth and training centres. Council is proposing to spend US$1 million on floodlights at its stadia and a further US$1 million on Barbourfields Stadium to improve security,” reads the statement.
Previously, calls have been made to demolish the iconic Barbourfields Stadium built in 1950.
Council has previously stated that three locations in Cowdray Park, Emganwini and Killarney have been identified by council as possible sites for the construction of a new state-of-the-art stadium that conforms to FIFA and CAF standards.
Zimbabwe has no stadium capable of hosting international matches.
As a result, the Warriors will play their first ‘home’ match in the World Cup qualifiers in Rwanda.
They will take on African giants Nigeria in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier on November 19. This will be their second clash after an encounter with Rwanda on November 15.