Rufaro Stadium on the Brink Again: PSL Matches at Risk as Turf Crumbles
Rufaro Stadium is once again teetering on the edge of condemnation, barely a year after its much-celebrated reopening to host top-flight football.
The once-iconic Mbare venue is visibly falling apart, with a damaged pitch now posing a serious danger to players, prompting fears that the stadium may soon be declared unfit to host Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches.
Currently home to Dynamos, CAPS United, Herentals, and Scottland FC, Rufaro is also used by Division One sides — a heavy fixture load that’s clearly taken its toll.
This week alone, the stadium was scheduled to host six matches in just 11 days, not including additional Northern Region Division One games.
Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume, speaking during a recent council meeting at Town House, sounded the alarm.
“Two weeks is too long. The renovations must be done because the stadium is about to be condemned again,” Mafume warned councillors.
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If the stadium is condemned, it would leave Harare-based PSL teams scrambling for alternative venues—a scenario that could plunge the capital’s football calendar into chaos.
According to NewZimbabwe, the Harare City Council earlier this year entered into a partnership with Scottland FC, a club owned by Mabvuku MP Pedzai Scott Sakupwanya, in a bid to revamp the stadium.
But visible results have been minimal, if any, dashing hopes that Rufaro could soon be upgraded to international standards.
Mafume’s promises of installing bucket seats by mid-2025 remain unfulfilled. The venue is still operating with outdated infrastructure — the archaic scoreboard and absence of electronic turnstiles serve as constant reminders of neglect.
“The state of City Sports—let us look at them. Every time, I have to apologise when I arrive at any council facility. It is not nice. The place does not look good, but there are simple things we should fix,” Mafume lamented.
Rufaro’s crumbling state mirrors the wider decay of Harare’s municipal sports infrastructure neglected, overused, and increasingly unfit for purpose.
