The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved Harare’s National Sports Stadium to host Category B matches, paving the way for the return of international football to Zimbabwe after more than four years in exile. The decision allows the 60,000-seater arena, opened in 1987 and celebrated as the Warriors’ fortress, to host men’s U17, U20 and U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, as well as the preliminary rounds of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
The stadium was banned from hosting senior men’s internationals in 2020 due to substandard facilities, including poor changing rooms, inadequate floodlighting, outdated media areas and insufficient medical amenities. Although a temporary reprieve was granted later that year, it was contingent on renovations and regular inspections. By 2021, concerns over the slow pace and quality of the upgrades led to a complete ban on all international matches. Since then, Zimbabwe’s national teams and club sides have been forced to play home fixtures in neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Rwanda and Mozambique, depriving fans of live action and cutting off vital match-day revenue.
For supporters, the absence of home fixtures has been both frustrating and costly, with many unable to afford cross-border travel to see their teams. The ban also stripped Zimbabwe of its home advantage and dealt a symbolic blow to national pride.
The turnaround follows a renewed push by Hon. Lieutenant General (Rtd) Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, who succeeded Kirsty Coventry after her appointment as President of the International Olympic Committee earlier this year. Minister Sanyatwe vowed to fast-track the stadium’s renovations and meet CAF’s requirements before the end of 2025. Today’s announcement suggests that promise is already bearing fruit.
While Category B clearance marks a significant step, Category A status, needed for senior men’s and women’s internationals, advanced stages of continental tournaments and World Cup qualifiers, still demands higher standards. Other major venues, including Rufaro Stadium in Harare and Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo, remain far from meeting CAF’s top-tier requirements.
The immediate impact will be felt later this month when Zimbabwe hosts the COSAFA zone qualifiers for the TotalEnergies CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations 2026. This will be the first time in years that fans can watch continental football without leaving the country. The development not only reignites the atmosphere for players and supporters but also boosts local businesses, vendors and the hospitality sector, which have suffered from the absence of match-day activity.
For all its history, the stadium’s neglect has been a painful reminder of infrastructure decay. The silence that followed CAF’s 2020 ban turned the once-thriving arena into a symbol of missed opportunities. Now, with the terraces set to echo once more with chants and vuvuzelas, the clearance signals more than a bureaucratic milestone. It is the first real step toward bringing Zimbabwean football home.
