National Sports Stadium (Zimbabwe)

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National Sports Stadium
NSS
2003 Harare Stadium, Zimbabwe 557109164.jpg
The National Sports Stadium in 2003
National Sports Stadium (Zimbabwe)
Full nameNational Sports Stadium
Location Harare
Capacity 60,000 [1]
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Opened1987
Renovated2010, 2025–present
Tenants
Zimbabwe national football team

The National Sports Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Harare, Zimbabwe, with a maximum capacity of 60,000 people. [2] It is the largest stadium in Zimbabwe, located in Harare, just a Few meters from Heroes Acre. It has been used mostly for football matches, but also for rugby union.

Contents

As of July 2025, it is being renovated.

Overview

The stadium played host to Amnesty International's Human Rights Now! Benefit Concert on October 7, 1988. The show was headlined by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and also featured Sting and Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman, Youssou N'Dour and Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi.

The 6th All-Africa Games were held at the National Sports Stadium in 1995.

The first leg of 1998 CAF Champions League final was held at the National Sports Stadium on 28 November 1998 between Dynamos Harare of Zimbabwe and ASEC Mimosas of Côte d'Ivoire that ended with goalless draw.

The stadium was closed for 20 months, starting November 2006, for major renovations. [3]

On 14 September 2019, the stadium hosted Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's funeral, [4] [5] which was also open to public attendance, with an aerial photo showing the 60,000 capacity stadium to be about a quarter full. [6] The funeral was attended by leaders of various African countries, including Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Sam Nujoma, Hifikepunye Pohamba and Hage Geingob of Namibia, Joseph Kabila of DR Congo, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa. [6]

The stadium was banned from hosting international matches by the Confederation of African Football in 2020. As of July 2025, renovations are underway. [7]

Major events

The stadium has hosted many important events since its construction such as the 1995 All-Africa Games.

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Sports Stadium Pindula.co.zw. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  2. ↑ Zim stadia 'shameful' Archived 2017-03-04 at the Wayback Machine . Dailynews.co.zw
  3. ↑ BBC SPORT | Football | African | Zimbabwe to renovate main stadium
  4. ↑ Burke, Jason (15 September 2019). "Pomp, thin crowds and mixed feelings as Robert Mugabe is buried". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  5. ↑ Bentley, Cara (14 September 2019). "'The end does not justify the means' say Zimbabwean bishops as Mugabe's funeral takes place". Premier Christian Radio. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  6. 1 2 "National Sports Stadium/". BBC News. 14 September 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  7. ↑ Chigandiwa, Tafadzwa (9 May 2025). "Contractors promise refurbishments at NSS will be completed by end of July". Nehanda Radio. Retrieved 18 July 2025.

17°49′16.89″S30°59′41.05″E / 17.8213583°S 30.9947361°E / -17.8213583; 30.9947361

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