By Nurudeen Obalola
The Black Stars of Ghana will have to find alternate venues for their next set of Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches after the Confederation of African Football dealt the West Africans a big blow.
The country’s only remaining eligible ground for international matches, the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, has now lost that status due to poor maintenance.
“The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has withdrawn its approval for the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, Ghana, due to technical infractions, including an unsuitable playing field,” the Ghana Football Association announced on Wednesday.
“The decision was made after observations made by CAF during the recent Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying match between Ghana and Angola, which was played at the Baba Yara Stadium on September 5th, 2024.
“Based on these observations, it was determined that the stadium did not meet the required standards for hosting Category 3 international matches.”
Ghana played host to the rest of the continent for the 2008 AFCON, with stadiums in Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Cape Coast and Tamale hosting games.
However, none of these grounds are now considered good enough to host top-level international matches.
“The CAF team identified several issues, including a playing field that was deemed unsuitable for competitive matches. The stadium’s playing field had deteriorated significantly, with uneven surfaces, poor drainage, and inadequate grass cover,” the GFA added.
“The Baba Yara Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 40,000, has hosted several high-profile matches in the past, including World Cup qualifiers and AFCON matches.
“CAF officials expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the stadium, citing the need for Ghanaian authorities to invest in upgrading the facility to meet international standards.”
A letter from CAF noted earlier concerns expressed by the continental body about the state of the playing field.
“It is important to note that, prior to the match, CAF had expressed concerns about the suitability of Baba Yara Sports Stadium for hosting top-tier international fixtures,” CAF said.
“Persistent issues at this venue, as well as others in Ghana, such as Cape Coast Stadium and Accra Sports Stadium, have also been noted.”
Given the absence of any other CAF-approved Category 3 stadiums in Ghana, CAF has requested the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to select an alternative venue from among those approved by CAF outside Ghana for Matchday 3 and 4 of the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 qualifiers, GFA noted.
The Ghanaian governing body added: “The letter from CAF also recommended that the relevant authorities ‘conduct a comprehensive assessment of all major international stadiums in Ghana to ensure they comply with CAF technical standards’.
“Additionally, CAF advised that the stadium management engage experienced companies immediately to undertake the necessary refurbishment to meet CAF/FIFA standards.
“CAF expressed its commitment to supporting Ghana (through the GFA) in bringing its stadiums up to the required standards for hosting CAF/FIFA senior international matches, offering to assist by providing an international pitch consultant with experience in major international competitions, including AFCON, to offer additional expert guidance on the necessary improvements. The cost of this support would be borne by the GFA.
“CAF went on to indicate that once the needed renovation works were completed, it would, at the GFA’s request and expense, conduct an independent inspection to reassess the stadium’s suitability for future matches.
“The withdrawal of approval means that Ghana will have to find alternative venues for upcoming international matches, including the AFCON qualifiers. The Ghana Football Association has promised to work with Government to address the issues and restore the stadium to its former status.”
