Reviewed by Praise Dumi DhlakamaZimbabwe sports betting writer
Published 1 September 2026
CAF has given the National Sports Stadium in Harare Category 3 approval, which clears Zimbabwe to play World Cup and AFCON qualifiers and CAF club matches at home for the first time since 2021.
The approval followed a technical inspection and was announced by the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture. Category 3 covers CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup group and quarter final ties as well as AFCON and FIFA World Cup qualifiers, subject to each competition’s own requirements.
Five years of home games played abroad
CAF barred the ground in 2021 and it has not staged a FIFA sanctioned match since. The Warriors have been paying to host their own home fixtures in other countries in the meantime, including a qualifier against Benin staged in South Africa. The ministry puts the saving at about 500,000 United States dollars for every international brought back to Harare, which is a projection rather than a banked figure.
What was actually rebuilt
The refurbishment was bankrolled mainly by Sakunda Holdings and handed over to the government on 19 May. The ministry’s account of the work lists 55,000 standard seats, 4,000 VIP and 980 VVIP seats, 20 presidential seats and 92 media positions, along with a rebuilt playing surface, and puts the total cost at 12.5 million United States dollars. Those figures come from the ministry’s own statement and no second body has published its own accounting of them.
ZIFA president Nqobile Magwizi has said the certificate is progress rather than completion, that remaining priority works still have to be finished and that standards have to be maintained now the stadium is cleared.
The next test is the AFCON qualifying window that runs from 21 September, which is the first realistic date for a competitive Warriors fixture in Harare.
Where to bet: Warriors qualifiers and Castle Lager PSL matches are priced by Premier Bet and Betway, both operating under the Lotteries and Gaming Board, with match result, both teams to score and correct score, and outrights on the qualifying group. Stakes are taken in United States dollars, with deposits through EcoCash and OneMoney. A national side that has been playing its home matches on neutral ground has been priced without a home advantage for five years, so watch how the two books handle the first Harare fixture rather than assuming the old numbers hold. Our guide to the best betting sites in Zimbabwe covers licensing and payout times, and there is more in Zimbabwe soccer news from AXN Sports. 18+. Gamble responsibly.
