By Rahim Abdul
The future of Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre now rests in the hands of local structural engineering experts who are expected to determine whether the facility is fit for use.
The stadium is among the sports venues that failed to meet the required standards for hosting competitive football matches in Malawi.
Ministry of Sports spokesperson Macmillan Mwale said that the government has completed the renovation works that were under its responsibility.
Mwale said the next step is for independent structural engineers to inspect the stadium and assess its condition.
According to him, the experts’ report will determine whether the stadium can safely resume hosting sporting activities.
He said the government is awaiting the outcome of the inspection before making any further decisions on reopening the venue.
Kamuzu Stadium has remained unavailable for official matches following concerns over its compliance with required standards.
As a result, several football clubs have been forced to relocate their home matches to Mpira Stadium in Chiwembe.
The affected clubs include Mighty Wanderers FC, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets FC, Ekhaya FC, Mighty Tigers FC, Ndirande Stars FC, Zingwangwa United and Bangwe All Stars FC.
The temporary shift has seen Mpira Stadium become the main venue for top-flight football in Blantyre.
Football stakeholders are now looking forward to the engineers’ findings, hoping they will pave the way for Kamuzu Stadium’s reopening.
