The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Mustapha Ussif, has instructed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to request the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to inspect the Accra Sports Stadium and the University of Ghana Stadium as potential venues for Ghana’s upcoming AFCON qualifier. This follows CAF’s decision to ban the Baba Yara Sports Stadium due to technical infractions, including an unsuitable playing field.
As a result of the ban, Ghana risks having to play their next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Sudan on neutral ground. In response, the Ministry of Youth and Sports released a statement tasking the GFA to urgently seek CAF’s approval for the Accra Sports Stadium and the newly-built University of Ghana Stadium as Category 3 venues for the Black Stars’ October match.
The Ministry noted that previous issues identified by CAF at the Accra Sports Stadium had been addressed by the National Sports Authority (NSA). Additionally, the University of Ghana Sports Stadium, which has previously hosted Category 2 matches, is expected to meet the requirements for hosting the upcoming qualifiers.
Efforts are also underway to address issues with the pitch at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium to bring it up to standard. The Ministry expressed confidence that both the Accra and University of Ghana stadiums will meet CAF’s Category 3 requirements and reiterated its commitment to upgrading other national stadiums to meet international standards.
