HARARE – The Premier Soccer League (PSL) in Zimbabwe started on Friday with glimpses the 2025 season will be entertaining and competitive, but the state of pitches is a major concern.
A solution is needed, fast!
While fan attendance over the weekend was decent, the shocking condition of the pitches stole the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Arguably, most of them resemble grazing fields rather than football grounds.
They look more suitable for cows, goats, and sheep than professional athletes.
This is unacceptable!
Poor pitch conditions pose a serious injury risk to players, particularly affecting their ankles.
Footballers are the heart of the game hence their safety should be a priority.
Stadiums like Rufaro, Wadzanayi, and Baobab are in a sorry state.
The grass is overgrown, the pitches are bumpy.
These conditions make it nearly impossible to play free-flowing football.
On his arrival last year, Zimbabwe national team coach Michael Nees, expressed his disappointment with the state of many pitches in the domestic league.
In an interview with ZTN Prime, Nees said: “The pitch conditions are difficult. The ball does not flow like in a well maintained pitch like those I saw in Senegal, South Africa or in Europe.”
He added: “The pitch is bouncy you have to slow down the game (in order) to control the ball naturally.”
Meanwhile, if the pitches look this bad on matchday one, what will they be like after 33 more rounds?
Immediate intervention is required!
Football in Zimbabwe must be taken serious because fixing the pitches is not an option but a necessity.
