WALTER Magaya’s Chahwanda Stadium project has impressed stadium expert Muhammad Feizal Sidat, who is in the country at the invitation of Zifa to give advice on the ongoing projects.
The National Sports Stadium is undergoing a major facelift to try and upgrade it to Caf standards so that it can host continental matches both at club and international level.
Yesterday, Sidat visited Chahwanda Stadium, which is under construction in Kwekwe.
The project is being driven by Magaya and business partner Shepherd Chahwanda.
“From our side, (we are) satisfied with generally with the visit and hopefully the partnership in regards to the project can continue with the view of the stadia getting approved for Caf matches, either club matches or national teams,” Sidat told the media.
He was particularly charmed by the dressing room design as well as the media facility.
But he pointed out to other areas that need to be changed to meet Caf demands.
“The two dressing rooms, it’s something in my experience I have not seen in top-tier stadiums,” he said.
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“The round shape, it’s something that when the proper design and finishing is done, it will be a fantastic place where top players can enjoy being in there.
“Other areas, the media facility we recommended that it be expanded. These are some of the positives, but there are some areas that are average, which we agreed that they can be enhanced to match current standards and dimensions.”
Sidat is a stadium expert previously employed by Caf.
The government is in a hurry to get the National Sports Stadium ready for the next set of the senior national team’s World Cup qualifiers in September.
Some progress has been made, but there is still a lot of work to be done, particularly the water reticulation system and the pitch revamp.
Magaya is hoping that this stadium will be able to host international matches this year.
The stadium is expected to carry a sitting capacity of 15 000 fans.
Zimbabwe is currently without a Caf-approved stadium and national teams as are having to play their home matches outside the country’s borders.
