The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has moved the November 15 Warriors versus Botswana 2021 Total Africa Cup of Nations qualifier from traditional Harare venues to Bulawayo’s Barbourfields Stadium.
ZIFA acting Zifa vice president Philemon Machana said the Association will continue to rotate matches for the benefit of football fans across the country. He said:
To us, we are saying Zimbabwe is not Harare. Bulawayo, like every other part of the nation, deserves to watch their team, a national asset that belongs to every Zimbabwean.
We will continue to rotate matches for the benefit of our fans and its also our hope that Bulawayo will rise and come in numbers to cheer the boys next week.
Since independence in 1980, almost all major games involving the national team, such as the World Cup or AFCON qualifiers, were played in Harare.
Bulawayo hosted friendly matches or dead rubber Afcon qualifiers like in 2007 when the Warriors beat Malawi 3:1 in a dead rubber 2008 Afcon qualifier.