The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has conducted inspections at the Accra Sports Stadium and Cape Coast Sports Stadium, evaluating both venues for potential approval ahead of Ghana’s critical Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Sudan in October 2024.
Ghana faces a must-win match as part of its qualification campaign for the 2025 AFCON tournament. However, the country was dealt a blow when CAF withdrew the certification of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium for Category C matches, leaving the nation without an approved venue to host international fixtures.
In response to this setback, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) began exploring the possibility of using venues outside the country. To avoid this scenario, Ghana’s Ministry of Sports quickly invited CAF officials to inspect the Accra and Cape Coast stadia over the weekend, with the goal of securing temporary approval for one of the venues.
According to sources from Joy Sports, this urgent inspection effort is aimed at preventing the embarrassing prospect of Ghana hosting its home qualifier in a foreign country. The Ministry had also requested that CAF inspect the Legon Stadium, hoping that at least one of the three venues would meet the required standards.
The nation now awaits CAF’s decision, with optimism that either the Accra or Cape Coast stadium will be approved in time for the October fixture. If granted, the Black Stars will be able to retain their home advantage against Sudan.
This development underscores Ghana’s ongoing challenge with maintaining its sports infrastructure at internationally recognized standards, and the forthcoming CAF decision will play a pivotal role in shaping the country’s AFCON qualification campaign.
