Story by Tamuka Charakupa
There is optimism in the Chegutu community that football is coming home amid revelations that Pfupajena Stadium will be ready to host Premier Soccer League matches soon.
The facility, which is located at the heart of Chegutu’s Pfupajena high density suburb, is almost close to meeting the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) minimum standards, with some of the works done so far including installation of bucket seats, construction of changing rooms and ablution facilities and a double precast wall.
“This is a partnership with the Chegutu Town Council where I am renovating this facility so that our own team can be able to utilize our home ground. Being a local miner, I believe I should play my part in the development of my community. As of now, we are at around 95 per cent complete to meet ZIFA standards,” said local miner and sports developer, Timothy Masviba.
The local community is abuzz with excitement at a time when Chegutu Pirates were struggling in their debut season in the topflight.
“We cannot afford to travel to Ngezi every home game and obviously the team needs support for mental boost. We believe the upgrading of this facility will not only benefit the team but the community at large,” said a resident.
“This is a welcome development for the team. It is always a joy when players play in front of familiar faces in their town. The community will have entertainment which also complements government efforts in fighting drug and substance abuse,” noted another.
Government is equally excited about the prospects that lie ahead.
“This is a sign that our children are rallying behind President Mnangagwa’s call for them to build their nation and uplift the faces of their towns. As a country, we should continue to prioritize sports infrastructure in view of promoting sports tourism, information generation, talent identification and even for recreational purposes,” explained Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Marian Chombo..
Chegutu Pirates are currently at the bottom of the PSL log standings and have been using Ngezi Platinum’s Baobab Stadium as their home ground.
