By Beatific Gumbwanda
TRIANGLE- Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) President Ngobile Magwizi recently promised that the Zimbabwe National Soccer team will play its world cup qualifiers campaign against Benin in September at the National Sports Stadium.
Magwizi revealed this while touring Gibbo stadium that was refurbished by Tongaat Hullets Zimbabwe (THZ) recently when he said ZIFA was working hand in glove with the government to complete works at the National Stadium.
“As you might be aware, the national team has not been playing in the country because our stadia are not ready for us to conduct international matches. This is because they have not met the required set CAF standards but I can promise you that come September, we will host the world cup qualifiers in our own National Sports Stadium because we are working towards achieving that,” said Magwizi.
He hailed THZ for refurbishing Gibbo Stadium to better standards when he toured the homologated Stadium before Triangle United Football Club (TUFC) drew with Bulawayo giants, Highlanders.
TUFC received a green light from ZIFA recently to host local matches at Gibbo Stadium following its refurbishment.
Magwizi highlighted that though it wasn’t their mandate to upgrade football infrastructure, they were working closely with government and partners to upgrade football infrastructure across the country in order to meet CAF standards.
“As ZIFA, our role is to manage football and infrastructure is a key component of having football played though it is not our responsibility to construct the infrastructure , we lobby and motivate partners and authorities to work with us to build infrastructure.
“Very impressive work has been done by Triangle and this is what we speak to when we talk about partnerships with the corporate sector, where they come in and commit resources to build infrastructure that benefits the community. We had communicated with them to build stadiums to meet the standards recommended by CAF and FIFA and in two months they had already built new changing rooms, a new tunnel and added new ablution facilities,” said Magwizi.
Bikita Minerals have since relocated from Sakubva Stadium in Mutare which they had been using as their home ground to Gibbo Stadium.
