HARARE football lovers could miss out on 2020 Premier Soccer League (PSL) action as there are no homologated stadiums in the city, a letter from the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa), directed to PSL chief executive Kenny Ndebele, has indicated.
“Zifa hereby informs your esteemed office that the following stadiums have provisionally been homologated by the first instance body of the 2020 season,” read part of the letter.
The stadiums, which have been approved for the season are Gibbo Stadium in Triangle, Vhengere Stadium in Rusape, Babourfields and Luveve stadiums in Bulawayo, Mandava Stadium in Zvishavani and Baobab in Ngezi.
In the past few years, a stadium crisis at the start of every season has gripped Zimbabwe, with most of the country’s football pitches failing to meet international standards.
Since the National Sports Stadium was constructed ahead of the 1995 All-Africa Games, Zimbabwe has not seen any investment in infrastructure development in that regard.
Last season, the second leg match between Black Rhinos and Ngezi Platinum Stars had to be cancelled after the Rufaro Stadium turf was turned into a huge pool following some incessant rains that had pounded the popular Mbare venue, hours before kick-off.
The game was eventually played the following morning at the same venue.