National Sports Stadium / Rufaro Stadium

The National Sports Stadium in Harare does not share the history of its neighbour, the Rufaro Stadium, despite often falling into the same search results. This venue, opened in 1987 with Chinese assistance, stands apart as a separate entity with its own timeline. While Rufaro converted its surface to artificial turf for nearly a decade before reverting to natural grass, the National Sports Stadium has kept to a consistent natural playing surface since construction began.

With a capacity of 60,000, the scale of the place is immediately apparent, yet the condition of the facility has drawn sharp criticism. The Confederation of African Football deemed the stadium unfit for international matches in 2025, a verdict that complicates its role as a secondary home for clubs like Dynamos F.C. and CAPS United. These sides use the ground when their primary stadium is unavailable or in poor repair. The pitch has certainly seen action on the continental stage, including the 2004 COSAFA Cup final and a World Cup qualifier against Rwanda in 2005 that drew a crowd of 55,000. That figure suggests the potential for a significant turnout, even if the current state of the infrastructure limits the venue's regular usage for top-tier fixtures. The name has not changed; it remains the National Sports Stadium, unlike the adjacent ground which surrendered the title in 1980. The distinction is a matter of record, not just geography, separating the site of the 2004 final from the location of the 1980 concerts.