2025 AFCONQ: Baba Yara Sports Stadium to be ready for Ghana vrs Angola, NSA assures

Authorities have assured the public that the Baba Yara Sports Stadium will be ready to host the 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifier.

The stadium, which is currently the only CAF-approved facility in Ghana, had recently been in poor condition, with the grass appearing faded just days before the crucial match.

The deterioration of the turf was attributed to a five-day church program held at the venue in July, which left the pitch unfit for play.

This situation sparked widespread concern on social media, with many football enthusiasts in Kumasi questioning whether the match would proceed as scheduled at the stadium.

The Black Stars will host Angola on 5 September.

“Ghanaian authorities do not appreciate the act of maintenance culture…They always sit aloof while doing nothing till there is an upcoming event. I am calling on the sports authority to change the narrative and make good use of taxpayer’s money”, a Kumasi resident Stephen Nti told Asaase News.

“The pitch of the Baba Yara Sports stadium is in a poor condition. Mostly, the stadium is rented out for programs which affects its nature. The renovation of the pitch for me is not enough. I will advise that a new stadium is built for us because many parts of the stadium is deteriorating and the money should be channeled into important areas like sports”, another football lover who gave his name as Desmond also stated.

However, new images widely shared online by the National Sports Authority (NSA) confirm that the situation has improved.

A spokesperson at the Sports Authority in the Ashanti Region Patience Sharon Adams Mensah confirmed to Asaase News that the necessary repairs and preparations will be completed in time to ensure that the stadium meets CAF standards for the qualifier.

“We are focused on getting everything done”, Adams told Asaase News. “I have already sent some pictures on the state of the pitch now and all those who have seen [the images] have testified that we have done a good job. We are assuring Ghanaians that come 5 September we will see the pitch in good shape, and we will play the match here”.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) had earlier requested an updated version of the playing surface of the venue after rejecting the initial one submitted by the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

Asaase News gathers that Sports Minister Mustapha Yusif is expected to lead a delegation to Kumasi to assess the situation as authorities race to beat a 30 August deadline.

During an interaction with the media on Sunday (25 August) in Accra, the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said Ghana needs professional management to maintain pitches in the five major stadia in the country.

He recounted a meeting with the national team’s (Black Stars) coach and players in Kumasi, where they lamented the lack of international standard pitches.

To address this, Dr. Bawumia mentioned including this requirement in the NPP’s political manifesto and advocated for professional management, training local staff, and bringing in knowledgeable individuals to improve the maintenance and quality of these pitches.

“One of the problems we have is the lack of maintenance of our pitches. I met with the Black Stars [national team] in Kumasi before their last game there. When we met the coach and the players, were very clear that’s what they needed, and this is why I’ve put it in our manifesto, was the international standard pitch.”

“The pitches that we have are difficult to play on, and we needed international standard pitches. So, in fact, in the manifesto, we need to do it and I believe that we need professional management in terms of the maintenance of these pitches, and we need to train people and also bring in the people with the knowledge,” he added.

Reporting By Lordina Agyemang Duah and Jonathan Ofori, Asaase Newsroom.

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