The ‘homeless’ Zimbabwe national team is set to host Lesotho at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa in their upcoming World Cup qualifier that is scheduled for 7 June.
This was revealed in a poster shared by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) on their social media platforms.
The use of Orlando Stadium comes six months after the Warriors used Huye Stadium in Rwanda as their homeground when they played Nigeria.
Zimbabwe currently has no stadium to host international matches after the National Sports Stadium in Harare was condemned by the continental football mother body, CAF some few years ago.
CAF requires Zimbabwe to refurbish its stadiums to host international matches.
Some of the CAF requirements include installation of bucket seats, electronic turnstiles, a Venue Operations Centre (VOC) and renovation of the B-Arena.
The sporting facilities have become an eyesore following neglection by the government and the municipality.
This ‘pathetic and humiliating’ hosting of Lesotho across Limpopo comes at a time when Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry recently promised the nation that the Warriors will play June World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
“I do believe our next game is in June and we had set the target of April, so if it’s June, it gives us a little bit of leeway but I expect that things are done and CAF is back to Zimbabwe to visit before April.
“Those are the time-lines I can share with you right now because I am bound by the MoUs I signed and I have to be as respectful as I can to those private companies that have come forward to offer financial assistance,” she told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee in February.
Following her remarks, Coventry was blasted via X (Twitter) by the former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere who accused her for “misleading the nation about the progress of renovations at the National Sports Stadium (NSS)”.
Furthermore, Mahere expressed her disappointment in Coventry stating that she continues to make false claims about the much anticipated renovations of the NSS.
In a series of Tweets, she said: “With all due respect, this is a further episode of lies, incompetence and broken promises from the honourable Minister.
“As far back as February 2020, Minister Kirsty Coventry lied to the nation that she had the stadium refurbishment under control and that she was on it.
“When we expressed our skepticism, the honourable Minister called it “nonsense.” In September 2020, Minister Coventry lied that the “refurbishments” they’d “done” would be approved by CAF. They weren’t.
“In 2022, the honourable Minister lied that a South African company had been engaged to refurbish the national stadium. To date, the national stadium remains condemned.”
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe will then play South Africa at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on 11 June.
Homeless
We are international ophans for sure 😄
come 6 may Passion Java is going to full the national sports stadium
Uchingonzwa zvichingonzi huchi….neuyu anenge drum uyu
We are such a shame,,,,,, disgraceful
And we claim to be a developing country,,,,what are we developing really
Prosper Nyathi Futsek wena musunu wakho what are you talking about
If we failed it for the funs why don’t we do it for cash could have made sense to take Lesotho game to bloem and SA game to Joburg both games could have seen a full stadium. We are led by fools
Really?? Homeless
Chikuru kutamba coz tingaite sei poto yatsva kare
It’s disgraceful indeed… Zimbabwe should have played Nigeria in South Africa in the first place
Not even one stadium yaaa ma1
So sad when some stupid someone is enjoying this
Team sponsors together with the government should sit down around the table & have a conversation about this
This ain’t no laughing matter
A national team isina home ground from a country arikubudisa tonnes and tonnes of Lithium kukundwa neSwaziland ine home ground apa havana kana Mine
Samanyika Wenharo tinonyara nazvo izvi Bambo
Sbusiso Siwela toshaya chatinodadira nemaMine asina benefit kunyika
Zvinopisa tsitsi nyika iri backed neGold
Zvonyadzisa izvi…..kana na Nehanda haafari kwaari ikoko
Homeless warriors
Homeless national team 😪
Homeless here 😂😂😂
What a disgrace
Homeless shame
Apo paunonzwa rimwe richiti huchi ndo huchi wacho ihoyu Nyika isina kana nhandare yayowo imwe chete zvayo”
Y r they still even playing?
Now we risk being embarassed by Lesotho,
Pavatungamiri venyika vose zvavo anekumeso kwaunoona angaziva zvema sports ndiani vese vanofanira kugara vachiviga vanhu nokurova vanhu
Ndipo paunonzgwa rimwe richishama mukangwa mepink richiti ED huchi!!
Nyika kutungamirigwa nemarombe shuwa ummmmm ma1
Uuuum zvonyadzisa
Saka vanhu vakutongei
Vanhu vachipihwa mabenz emamillions wotonzwa vamwe vachiti Chivayo chibaba haa vana veZimbabwe toda rubatsiro shuwa
International John walkers by designed, they created this situation for us in order to to manipulate every one