Rufaro stadium faces challenges despite reopening

When Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume announced the reopening of Rufaro Stadium last year after four years of closure, there was an air of optimism among football stakeholders.

An area that had been turned into a market, with trucks selling potatoes, was replaced by a well-thought-out car park, expected to generate revenue for the Harare City Council through City Parking. This gave the impression that the municipality was making positive strides.

However, the stadium's shortcomings have become increasingly apparent as Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches continue to be played at the iconic venue.

On Saturday, the VIP enclosure was flooded as heavy rains pounded the city, with a leaking roof offering little respite. The embarrassing situation highlighted the country's ongoing stadium crisis, which has already forced Zimbabwean teams to play international matches abroad due to the lack of CAF-approved venues.

Rufaro Stadium is still far from meeting the international football standards set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The stadium lacks essential facilities such as a media room, the tunnel to the dressing rooms remains narrow, the pitch drainage system is inadequate, and an outdated scoreboard is still in use.

Despite these glaring deficiencies, Harare City Council spokesperson Stanley Gama insisted that the stadium is in good condition. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gama stated:

"Rufaro Stadium is hosting mammoth crowds without problems thanks to the City of Harare, which renovated the traditional home of football, bringing back top-flight football to Harare. It's still a work in progress, and challenges are faced, but Rufaro is looking good."

Gama further highlighted the huge turnout at Sunday's match between CAPS United and Scottland FC, stating that the stadium was about 90% full, which he claimed was a testament to the great work done so far.

However, when questioned about the leaking VIP area, Gama downplayed the issue, comparing it to a recent incident at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, where the roof leaked during a match.

"Even at Old Trafford, such things happen. At Rufaro, this will all soon be rectified," he said.

The Harare City Council faces an uphill task in revamping Rufaro Stadium to meet the necessary standards. If improvements are not made, Harare-based teams such as Dynamos, Herentals, CAPS United, and Scottland FC could find themselves without a venue if the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) reinspects the stadium and deems it unfit.

The City Council had promised to complete the installation of bucket seats throughout the stadium, but so far, only a few have been installed in the VIP section. The seats are being supplied by Okima Plastics, a company owned by Henrietta Rushwaya.

With mounting pressure from football stakeholders, the City of Harare will need to accelerate its efforts to address the stadium's shortcomings to ensure it remains a viable venue for top-flight football.