Simba Bhora upgrade stadium
SIMBA Bhora have started working on the architectural designs which will see them upgrade their home ground, Wadzanai in Shamva, into a 10 000-seater stadium before the commencement of the 2023 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season.
The Mashonaland Central team was promoted into the PSL two months ago after clinching the top spot in the Northern Region Division One Soccer League.
But their home stadium falls short of the required Premiership standards and as it stands, they will be forced to host their matches in Harare, further congesting the already overcrowded National Sports Stadium.
The club is, however, working on upgrading their facility to be compliant with the minimum required standards for the topflight. Team secretary-general, Taurai Jani, yesterday told The Herald his club was working to put aside a budget of up to US$300 000 to help them spruce-up the facility.
“As Simba Bhora, we are very much aware of the required standards in the Premier Soccer League. Our stadium doesn’t meet the criteria and we are already working on addressing the flaws,” said Jani.
“We will stand guided by the ZIFA First Instance Board who will direct us on which areas need attention. We are already addressing issues to do with changing rooms which we constructed last year. They obviously need some small touch ups.
“The stadium will accommodate 10 000 people and we have to terrace the venue as well as put up VIP enclosures.
“The Shamva community deserve to watch PSL action at their own home just like they have been doing in the first division.
“We used close to US$3 000 to construct the stadium and we need approximately the same amount to uplift it to the required standards. The idea is to make the facility meet the requirements before the start of next season.”
The stadium will this week host a Champion of Champions match between Simba Bhora and Eastern Region Division One League kings GreenFuel.
The latter emerged as the champions from the Eastern Region and even secured the title with six games to spare.
The two teams will square up in a highstakes match at the Shamva venue on Saturday. Northern Region Division One Soccer League vice-chairman, Sweeny Mushonga, confirmed the match yesterday but couldn’t provide more details about it.
GreenFuel will field a relatively new-look side after the club last week rampantly offloaded all but 11 players who did duty for the team in the recently-ended season.
Simba Bhora are yet to drop any of their players but they are expected to follow suit by the end of the year.