Gweru City Council (GCC) has announced plans to rope in private players to upgrade Ascot Stadium after the local authority failed to maintain the football facility.
Gweru City Council spokesperson Vimbai Chingwaramusee told NewsDay Sport that they have failed to maintain Ascot Stadium due to the financial challenges that they are facing. She said:
For now, we have only managed to cut the grass in the pitch but the other changes have not been possible because of the challenges we are facing as a council.
We are considering bringing in private players to help upgrade this facility, but it is a process that might even take long for us to finish.
Division One side Sheasham have previously attempted to upgrade the stadium but were blocked from doing so by GCC before the local authority had a change of heart.
Former Nichrut proprietor Nicholas Gara also made efforts to renovate some key areas at the facility in 2018 but could not proceed with the project after the club folded.
Ascot Stadium is currently not suitable for holding Premier Soccer League matches as it has not been properly maintained since January.
The depressing state of Ascot mirrors that of the country’s major stadiums, the National Sports and Barbourfields, which were condemned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as not suitable to host continental football competitions.