The test match was good enough signal to indicate the state of the usability of Sakubva Stadium.
We Still stand by our promise that Sakubva Stadium will be ready during the 2024 soccer season.
We are impressed by the results registered after the test soccer match pitting Mutare Rovers and Manica Diamonds.
-The contractor still working on improving the quality if the turf and the quality of the surface
– Taking all the critical stakeholders and stockholders aboard the final stages of the turf development, taking both objective and subjunctive criticism. We were glad that the media, the council, the contractor, football teams, the supporters were available to witness the new sakubva stadium.which we believe will meet the approval requirements.
There was
Joy and happiness from stakeholders and stockholders who came and the hunger and thirsty for top-flight league was evident judging by the turn out.
– We are determined as a local authority to bring back Sakubva and Improve the status, this however calls for unity of purpose across all the soccer living fans, the players themselves and the teams.
3. Current Turf management Practices we are deploying
– Fertilisers- Nitrogen fertilisers have been applied to improve on the leaf blade and stolons( sub surface sterms) which constitute the turf. These efforts are to make deep green lawn
-Top dressing- This is a turf management art and science where a soil or organic matter is added on top of a lawn to enhance surface leveling, greening and add organic oriented nutrients on the lawn.
In the Sakubva case tobacco dust and scrap was used. The tobacco dust/scrap effect is being managed for the best results. The turf should have a spring effect to the players to players
-Surface drainage- The design of the the Sakubva stadium drainage system was meant to have 60-70% of the rain or irrigation water to drain as runoff on the surface of the turf and 30% as sub-surface drainage. The sub- surface dainage is very effective and it serves the purpose of the design. The lateral or surface drainage is part of the current management work.
However after observations after yesterday’s 2 matches slight backfilling has been done today and hand rolling of the turf is done both longitudinally and latitudinally. This stabilises the surface as the council is working on ZIFA inspections and improves the turf surface.
-House keeping- A large amount of soil and organic waste has been generated from the drainage and turf works in Sakubva. More than 400m3 of waste has been generated during renovations and as of the 6th of February the contractor had removed 340m3 and is targeting to complete the exercise on Sunday 11 February 2024.
Council took the bold decision to renovate after observed that the drainage of Sakubva stadium which was commissioned in 1963 had collapsed.
– We have advisee the Contractor to speed up the turf devepment on some sections of the turf.
Our broader plan which is in concurrence with
– Stakeholders is to restrictict PSL matches to Sakubva stadium and lower division matches to Chisamba grounds which has now become our Arena B