Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has ignited controversy by urging the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to ban countries lacking home stadiums that meet CAF’s minimum requirements from participating in continental competitions. This statement comes in the wake of Zimbabwe, among 17 nations, not having approved home grounds for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Africa qualifiers.
Zimbabwe, forced to seek alternative venues, hosted Nigeria in Rwanda, using Huye Stadium in Butare for their recent one-all draw. Huye Stadium serves as Rwanda’s current home ground, while Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali is undergoing renovations, expanding its capacity to 45,000 from 25,000 seats.
Similarly, Lesotho, sharing Group C in the World Cup qualifiers with Zimbabwe, Nigeria, South Africa, and Benin, has adopted Moses Mabhida Stadium in South Africa as their home ground.
According to a report by Newsday Zimbabwe, Broos expressed his concerns to reporters on Monday, ahead of Bafana Bafana’s match against Rwanda. He pointed out the anomaly of African teams playing ‘home’ games in foreign countries. Citing examples like Liberia hosting games in Morocco, Broos argued that such practices undermine the integrity of the competition. He suggested that CAF could set a deadline, stating, “in five years, if you don’t have a stadium, then you don’t play in CAF games anymore,” including Afcon and World Cup qualifiers.
The coach highlighted a case in Liberia where, feeling the pressure to qualify, they suddenly had a stadium ready. Initially, they played their matches in Morocco due to a lack of an adequate stadium. Broos hopes that the CAF will take decisive action, setting a clear ultimatum for countries to meet the required standards or face exclusion from qualifiers.
Zimbabwe’s iconic stadiums, namely the National Sports Stadium, Barbourfields, and Rufaro Stadium faced bans from hosting international matches about four years ago. However, very little has been done to upgrade them. This lack of progress suggests that the Warriors might again need an alternative home for their upcoming match against Lesotho in the World Cup qualifiers next June.
Broos’s comments have sparked a debate about the state of football infrastructure in Africa and the need for governing bodies like CAF to enforce standards that ensure fair and competitive conditions for all participating nations.
