The National Sports Authority(NSA) has temporarily shut down the Accra Sports Stadium and Cape Coast Sports Stadium for renovation works.
This move seeks to improve the facilities in preparation for upcoming international sporting competitions.
As a result, Accra-based football club Hearts of Oak will need to find an alternative venue to host their home games in the Ghana Premier League.
The club has been given the option to choose between the Legon Stadium and the Sogakofe Wafa Park as their temporary home.
According to sources close to the NSA, the renovation project is expected to take several months to complete.
The upgrade will include modernization of the playing surface, installation of new floodlights, and renovation of the stadium’s seating and amenities.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) prohibited the use of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium for CAF/FIFA senior international matches due to the poor condition of the pitch.
They therefore recommended the complete reconstruction of the playing surface at Baba Yara, but the NSA is taking temporary measures to ensure an alternative venue can host the next AFCON 2025 qualifier against Sudan in October.
In addition to the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, the Accra and Cape Coast facilities have been closed for maintenance.
This means that three of the nation’s biggest stadia are unavailable at a time when the Ghana Premier league and other divisions just started.
According to univers sports sources,The Ghana Football Association (GFA) had an emergency meeting with the Sports Ministry and the National Sports Authority (NSA) on September 6, 2024, to discuss the urgent need to renovate the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.
This meeting was held after the Black Stars lost to the Palancas Negras at the Baba Yara Stadium.
Ghana’s next match will be against Sudan on Friday October 11,2024.
The GFA may opt to host the match in Togo instead.
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Story by Asack Pius|univers.ug.edu.gh
