Zimbabwe’s NSS ban lifted as CAF restores home matches in Harare

Zimbabwe will be able to host competitive international football again after CAF granted the National Sports Stadium Category 3 approval, ending almost five years of exile from home matches. The decision restores Harare as a venue for the Warriors and Zimbabwean clubs in eligible CAF and international fixtures.

The approval follows a technical inspection and work to address deficiencies that led CAF to reject the stadium in 2021. Safety, security and infrastructure concerns had forced Zimbabwe to stage home fixtures in Botswana, South Africa and Rwanda, removing home advantage and adding travel costs.

The Warriors are scheduled to open their next Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign away against Sierra Leone next month. Their following match against the Democratic Republic of Congo is expected to be the first competitive fixture at the NSS since Zimbabwe hosted Ethiopia in a World Cup qualifier in November 2021.

Category 3 status permits the stadium to stage Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA World Cup qualifiers, along with CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup group matches and quarter-finals. The venue may also host other competitions where Category 3 facilities are required, subject to each event’s conditions.

Work at the stadium has included improvements to the pitch and the installation of bucket seating. The refurbishment received backing from the government and private partners, including Sakunda Holdings, as Zimbabwe sought to return its main football ground to international use.

The change also affects Zimbabwe’s other teams. The Mighty Warriors are set to host Malawi in an Olympic qualifier in October, while domestic clubs competing in CAF tournaments will no longer face the same need to play their home matches outside the country. The approval gives Zimbabwean football a chance to bring international fixtures back to its own grounds after the prolonged restriction.