Zimbabwe in Search of Home Ground for Afcon Qualif...

Zimbabwe in Search of Home Ground for Afcon Qualifiers

Patience Muchemwa

Zim Now Reporter

The Zimbabwe Warriors are facing a daunting task as they embark on their journey to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco. The country’s football association is scrambling to secure a suitable home venue for the crucial qualifiers, with Uganda and South Africa emerging as potential options.

Zimbabwe has been unable to host competitive matches on home soil due to the non-compliance of its stadiums with Caf standards. As a result, the Warriors have played their previous home matches in neutral venues, including Rwanda and South Africa.

The search for a new home ground comes as Zimbabwe is under the stewardship of new German coach Michael Nees, who is expected to arrive in the country next week to commence his duties. The expatriate will have the challenging task of selecting a squad for the upcoming qualifiers, with Kenya and Cameroon awaiting the Warriors in September.

Zimbabwe is drawn in Group J alongside Kenya, Cameroon, and Namibia. The top two teams from the group will automatically qualify for the Afcon finals. However, the road to qualification is fraught with challenges, with the possibility of playing most of their home matches away from home.

The Zimbabwe Football Association remains optimistic about finding a suitable venue and has urged fans to remain patient as they work through the logistics. “We are looking at two places, that is Uganda and South Africa, but we have not confirmed any of those as yet,” said Zifa president Felton Manwa.

“We will let the nation know when we have finalised the processes. People should stop spreading rumours.”

With the clock ticking, the Warriors are under immense pressure to secure a home ground advantage, which could be crucial in their quest to qualify for the Afcon finals.