KEY POINTS
- Heavy rains have turned Rufaro Stadium into a muddy field.
- PSL clubs using the venue are concerned about its playing conditions.
- Questions remain over whether the renovations were truly effective.
Just months after its grand reopening, Rufaro Stadium is already facing serious issues, with heavy rains turning the field into a muddy swamp.
Despite assurances from Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume that the stadium was now world-class, the reality on the ground tells a different story.
When the Harare City Council unveiled the stadium’s new look, Mafume boasted that its pitch rivaled Spain’s Santiago Bernabeu.
However, after just four league matches in eight days, the drainage system is failing, with large patches of thick mud covering the field.
This has raised concerns about whether the stadium is capable of hosting multiple matches throughout the season, let alone the international games Mafume envisions.
Stadium conditions raise concerns for PSL season
As the 2025 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League gets underway, Dynamos, CAPS United, ZPC Kariba, and Herentals have been using Rufaro Stadium as their home ground.
With renovations at the National Sports Stadium still incomplete, the venue is under heavy use, and the pitch is deteriorating faster than expected.
According to New Zimbabwe, Mafume remains confident that the stadium can still host international matches, despite the visible challenges.
“We are the biggest investors in sport in this country as the City of Harare. Every weekend, something is happening in Harare,” he said at a recent council meeting.
He emphasized that his goal is to bring international football back to the city.
Many participants in football show considerable doubt about these claims.
People question whether the City Council conducted proper stadium revitalization instead of implementing basic cosmetic touches to the playing facilities.
Renovation quality and sustainability under scrutiny
The flooding of the stadium pitch joins a cluster of questions involving multiple aspects of the upgrade.
The City Council, in partnership with Henrietta Rushwaya’s Okima Plastics, installed bucket seats in only a small section of the venue, leading to accusations that officials had misled football fans about the scope of the renovations.
Zimbabwe’s lack of proper sports facilities has already forced local teams to play home matches abroad.
Now, with Rufaro Stadium’s condition deteriorating, concerns are growing about whether the country will ever develop a world-class venue capable of hosting international competitions.
With the stadium already showing signs of early wear and tear, football stakeholders worry that Harare’s dream of international matches is slipping further away.
A lack of long-term solutions will place Rufaro Stadium’s playable field conditions at risk throughout the season, further adding to Zimbabwe’s existing stadium problems.
