The government plans to allocate 35 million meticals (US$550,000) for the rehabilitation and equipping of the Zimpeto National Stadium in 2025, according to the Economic and Social Plan and State Budget (PESOE) recently approved by the Council of Ministers and submitted to the Assembly of the Republic.
This is yet another investment in an iconic piece of infrastructure, but one that has been repeatedly banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which has deemed the venue unfit to host international competitions due to its poor condition. The most recent ban was imposed in December 2024, for the third time in less than five years.
PESOE does not detail the type of works planned or the equipment to be purchased, but the stadium — inaugurated in April 2011, with a capacity for 42,000 spectators — continues to have recurring faults, despite having received accumulated investments of around 47.5 million meticals (743,000 dollars) between 2020-22, according to data from the General State Accounts.
These funds, channelled through the Sports Promotion Fund (FPD), overseen by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, were intended to replace the natural grass, install turnstiles, maintain generators, replace the lighting and sound system, repair toilets and changing rooms, and install an outer fence. However, most of these improvements remain inoperative.
For example, the turnstiles installed are still not working, the public toilets are still without water and lighting, and the sound system remains disconnected. In addition, hygiene and safety problems persist, with sewage, accumulated rubbish and bad smells in the vicinity of the stadium entrances.
CAF considers the stadium unsuitable for international matches, despite the fact that it recently hosted qualifying matches for the 2025 African Cup of Nations. The successive bans — in 2021, 2023 and 2024 — call into question the effectiveness of the renovations carried out with public money.
In addition to the Zimpeto Stadium, PESOE 2025 provides for further investment in sports infrastructure: 4.4 million meticals (70,000 dollars) for the redevelopment of the Parque dos Continuadores in Maputo, and 20 million meticals (315,000 dollars) for the completion of the Pemba Sports Complex, which began in 2005 and is still unfinished.
Carta de Moçambique
