Zimbabwe’s National Sports Stadium is set to host the Warriors for the first time since 2021 after receiving approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to host international football matches again, ending a five-year period in which the country was unable to use its main stadium for CAF-sanctioned fixtures.
The stadium received CAF Category Three approval, allowing it to host international matches and providing Zimbabwe with a venue for home fixtures after years of having to stage international games outside the country.
The National Sports Stadium hosted its first match since the approval on September 6, when newly crowned Zimbabwean champions Scottland FC welcomed Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs in the first leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary round.
The stadium will welcome the Warriors on Monday when they face the Democratic Republic of Congo in an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier. Zimbabwe’s AFCON qualifying campaign kicks off tonight when the Warriors face Sierra Leone away.
ZIFA lost out
The approval follows extensive refurbishment work at the National Sports Stadium aimed at bringing the facility in line with international football standards.
Zimbabwe’s Government said in its 2026 Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review that the upgrading and refurbishment of the stadium was almost complete, with work including improvements to ablution facilities, changing rooms, turf restoration, turnstiles and the Venue Operations Centre.
The stadium had previously been disapproved by CAF after failing to meet the required standards, forcing Zimbabwe’s national teams to play their home matches outside the country.
The return of the National Sports Stadium is expected to benefit the Zimbabwe national team, the Warriors, as they prepare for upcoming international competitions and qualifiers.
The approval also means Zimbabwean supporters can once again watch CAF-sanctioned international football matches at the country’s main sporting venue.
The development comes after a lengthy rehabilitation programme that included work on the playing surface, facilities for teams and officials, access systems and other stadium infrastructure.
The National Sports Stadium’s approval is also significant for the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), which has previously faced financial costs from having to host international matches outside the country. A parliamentary report previously indicated that ZIFA was losing more than US$500,000 per match because Zimbabwe lacked a certified stadium.
