The Zimbabwe senior men’s national football team is set to receive a US$1 million boost from the government for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals, which will be held in Morocco.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube announced the allocation during his presentation of the 2025 National Budget on Thursday. He said:
Government has… made a provision of US$1 million for the preparations and participation of the Zimbabwe National Football Team (Warriors) for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) set for December 2025 in Morocco.
Zimbabwe will be making their sixth appearance at AFCON in Morocco, marking a milestone 20 years since their debut at the 2004 edition in Tunisia.
In related developments, the government has allocated ZiG189 million for the ongoing renovations of the National Sports Stadium.
However, the completion target has been extended to 2025, after missing the initial deadline set for the end of this year. Said Ncube:
Sports, arts and culture sectors contribute significantly to employment creation, as well as help mitigate drug and
substance abuse, while also serving as catalysts for economic growth.To support these sectors, ZiG888.4 million has been allocated to the Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
This allocation is meant to facilitate country-wide identification and development of talent in sport, arts and culture among the youth, as well as the rehabilitation of national sports stadia, multi-purpose sports facilities and other recreation facilities across all provinces.
Specifically, ZiG189 million is meant to complete the renovations of the National Sports Stadium to make it usable during the year 2025.
Renovations of the National Sports Stadium began in 2023 but have faced delays due to insufficient funding from the Treasury, as revealed by Minister of Sport, Kirsty Coventry, earlier this year.
At present, Zimbabwe lacks any stadiums certified by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to host international football matches.
Historically, the National Sports Stadium and Rufaro Stadium in Harare, as well as Barbourfields in Bulawayo were used for international fixtures, but all have been condemned by CAF for failing to meet the required standards.
As a result, Zimbabwe has had to rely on alternative venues in neighbouring countries, such as South Africa and Botswana, to host international games.
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