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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter

THE Heart Stadium under construction at the Yadah Hotel in Waterfalls is almost complete with the commissioning by the Castle Lager Premiership side, Yadah FC, scheduled to take place in a week’s time.

The 5000-seater facility has been under construction for the past two months and should be commissioned this year, it will rank as the fastest stadium ever to be built in this country.

Ngezi Platinum’s Baobab Stadium currently holds the record having been readied inside just six months back in 2016.

But with most of the critical areas including a lush-green suspended pitch, shedded grandstands installed with bucket seats and CAF standard change-rooms all in place, the Heart Stadium could be on its way to breaking new grounds.

Already experts and key officials including the Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Kirsty Coventry have since toured the venue and they have all supplied positive feedback. In an interview yesterday, Prophet Walter Magaya, who is behind this project, said workers have been working around the clock to ensure the quick completion of the stadium.

“We started the construction of this stadium about eight weeks ago and I am very happy with the progress,” said Magaya.

“We are almost there and we are just trying to make sure that we tick all the boxes.

“Every step that we have taken has been guided by the experts in that field.

“Workers have been working every minute on shifts and we are happy with what we have done so far.

“We are expecting to have the stadium commissioned on the 5th of November which is next week.

“That is my wish and we are working hard to try and accomplish that.

“I would like to thank every stakeholder who has been handy in the construction of this stadium.

“You know I love football and I am doing this for football not myself. I am not doing this for anyone else but my country”. The Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries Church founder said he is not worried even if his team Yadah gets relegated from the top-flight.

“I love Yadah, yes and the hope is they won’t get relegated but if the team is demoted, that’s part of football.

“We are not building this stadium for Yadah only. We are doing it for football, for the country,” he said.

“That is why we have made sure all the necessary technicalities which CAF looks at are addressed.

We hope to see even the teams representing the country in continental matches being able to play at the Heart Stadium.

“We hope even the Warriors can play at the Heart Stadium”.

Although the stadium will be accommodating 5 000 people at first, plans are that it will be subsequently expanded to a 20 000-seater venue.