Six stadiums condemned
SIX stadiums that had been earmarked for use by Castle Lager Premier Soccer League teams this season have been condemned by the Zifa Inspections Committee.
White City, Sakubva, Ascot, Maglas, Nyamhunga and Ross Camp are unlikely to see any Premiership action this season despite some teams have indicated the grounds as their preferred venues for home games.
The inspection committee embarked on a countrywide tour of stadiums last week with preparations for the 2018 football season in full swing.
Sources within the committee revealed the stadium fell short of the standards set out in the Caf Club Licensing schedule. The sources said with three weeks before start of the PSL, the stadiums require a lot of work that would be difficult to complete within that period.
In Bulawayo the committee condemned White City and Ross Camp which had been earmarked for use by Bulawayo City and new Premierships entrants, Bulawayo Chiefs.
Gweru is likely to miss out on top flight action with Ascot falling short, while Shabanie could see themselves playing at cross town rivals, FC Platinum’s Mandava Stadium as there is still work to be done at Maglas and ZPC Kariba have to invest in renovating Nyamhunga Stadium whose VIP section, medical tribune and dressing rooms were condemned.
“Most of the stadiums have problems with their VIP sections; dressing rooms are too small while medical tribunes are also non-existent. Turf, drainage system and goalposts were also noted to be some of the problems affecting the venues.
“Mandava could find itself hosting four teams (Nichrut, Shabanie, FC Platinum and Chapungu) as there seems to be no will at the Gweru City Council to attend to the problems facing Ascot. However, the FIB will sit and make recommendations because they have the final say,” said the source.
Zifa spokesman and FIB Club Licensing manager, Xolisani Gwesela on Friday confirmed they have completed their countrywide tour but declined to reveal the results of their inspections saying the FIB will speak on the issue once a report is submitted to the body.
He said they were not only looking at stadiums but the whole Club Licensing criteria and he would compile a report on all the areas they were looking at.
“We have completed the inspections at all the 18 clubs but they were not limited to stadiums only but we were using the Club Licensing standards as a template for the whole infrastructure requirements as outlined in the document.
“We also interrogated other aspects outlined in Club Licensing such as sporting, administration and personnel, financial and legal. I will compile the reports that would be used to categorising clubs and any outcomes will be announced by the committee,” he said.
ere are three categories of licensing with Category A being prerequisite and those who don’t meet requirements at this level will not be licensed while those who fail in Category B will be given the nod but a sanction will be imposed while Category C is more advanced involving technological and other infrastructural requirements.
Members of the FIB include chairperson, Piraishe Mabhena, vice chairperson, Willard Manyengavana, Nobioth Magwizi, Dennis Tshuma and Gilbert Saika. Gwesela and PSL competitions manager, Elisha Mandireva are ex officio members of the body.
— @rasmthembo