Poor stadium drainage exposed

The heavy rainfall experienced over the last few days exposed poor drainage systems and infrastructural weaknesses at most stadiums that host top-flight league games.

The game between Dynamos and TelOne at Ascot Stadium in Gweru had to be postponed from Saturday to Sunday after the match commissioner had deemed the pitch unfit to host the match due to waterlogging.

Despite the match being rescheduled to the following day, with Dynamos winning the match 2-1, the pitch was still waterlogged, prompting football authorities to come up with some emergency solutions.

According to Premier Soccer League chief executive officer Ronald Thabe, they resorted to water removal machines to drain water from Ascot Stadium.

“We reassessed the pitch together with the technical experts, the match officials, and they gave us their report to say most parts of the pitch seemed to be in good condition and playable and only a few parts in certain areas seemed to be waterlogged…we drained some of the water using generators and booster pumps,” said Thabe.

The same was true at Gibbo Stadium, where the 2023 league winners Simba Bhora emerged as one-nil victors over Manica Diamonds on Sunday.

The pitch was visibly waterlogged, with players falling now and again as well as failing to properly control the ball on the muddy surface.

Simba Bhora coach Mandla Mpofu admitted after the victory over Manica Diamonds that they could have produced a better performance were it not for the slippery Gibbo pitch conditions made it difficult for players to execute their usual style of play.

“I appreciate the three points on the road. Getting points away from home is always precious, but we had to adjust our game plan because of the condition of the pitch. It was slippery, so we had to focus more on second balls and playing in the channels,” said Mpofu.

At Rufaro Stadium, the pitch conditions were slippery as the surface was heavily saturated due to the poor drainage system following recent heavy rains.

With the iconic Rufaro Stadium currently playing host to five Harare-based sides, namely Dynamos, CAPS United, Scottland, Hunters, and Herentals. The stadium is expected to host at least three games per week, which will result in significant damage to the playing surface.

At Baobab Stadium in Mhondoro Ngezi, where hosts Ngezi Platinum Stars beat FC Platinum 2-1, the pitch and its surroundings were also waterlogged.

Premier Soccer League chief executive officer Thabe has expressed serious concern over the state of the country’s stadiums.

“The PSL is concerned about the condition of some pitches following the recent rains. We are engaging stadium owners and the relevant authorities to address issues related to pitch maintenance and drainage so that facilities are able to better withstand adverse weather conditions.

“The safety of players, match officials and fans remains a priority and we will continue working with all stakeholders to improve the condition of our stadiums.

“So as the PSL we have been in discussions with stadium authorities and the clubs that use these venues since the close of the season last year regarding the need to address drainage and pitch maintenance challenges including other e-ticketing prerequisites requirements.

“The responses so far have been positive, with stakeholders acknowledging the need to improve the playing surfaces but we do accept that a lot more still needs to be done to improve these facilities.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and work with the relevant authorities to ensure venues meet the standards required to host PSL matches and provide safe playing conditions,” said Thabe.

Meanwhile, this week, overused Rufaro Stadium will kick off with Scottland hosting Ngezi Platinum Stars on Friday.

 CAPS United will host Herentals on Saturday, while Dynamos will face arch-rivals Highlanders at the same venue on Sunday.