Football returns to Sakubva Stadium
PREMIERSHIP and lower divisions football action is expected to be back at Sakubva Stadium early next year, following major refurbishment work of the facility’s drainage system which lasted more than seven months.
Mutare City Council spokesperson, Spren Mutiwi, confirmed that renovations at Sakubva Stadium were going according to schedule.
Mutiwi expressed confidence that local football teams will be playing their home matches at the 15 000-seater stadium, come next season.
“Everything is going according to plan, and we are happy that the renovation to the stadium’s drainage system and installation of new lawn is now at an advanced stage.
“We have no doubt that come next year, local teams will be using the facility. This is one project that shows the local authority’s commitment to social development, given the fact that resources to undertake the initiative were sourced elsewhere as revenue for the facility alone was not enough,” said Mutiwi.
Planting of the new lawn started a few months ago. The establishment of the new turf or lawn project was completed within two weeks’ time after delivery.
The contractor completed the vertical drainage. The profile of the vertical drainage entails that there is bedding sand at the bottom where perforated drainage pipes were laid on top of it.
These pipes are covered by a layer of three quarter stones. The layer of three quarter stones in turn is covered with filter sand.
The stadium has 16 trunk drainage lines. There are also additional 20 auxiliary branching lines of perforated pipes interconnecting the trunk lines.
On lateral drainage, over and above the vertical drainage which has perforated pipes, there is a lateral surface drainage. This will necessitate and allow for additional water to flow outwards the stadium from the four directions of the centre circle.
The surface drainage is done using the organic soil.
A highly draining, organic soil covers the entire surface of the soil. The properties of organic soil is such that it allows excess soil in the ground to drain into filter sand, then the three quarter stones into the sub-surface drainage pipes. The organic soil has a rate of lawn nutrients retention
Mutiwi said: “One step, one day at a time, we are slowly moving towards restoring Sakubva Stadium, and meet the soccer governing body approval standards.”