The Ministry of Youth and Sports has instructed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to seek approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the Accra Sports Stadium and the University of Ghana Sports Stadium to host the Black Stars' upcoming home match in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
This directive follows CAF’s decision to ban the Baba Yara Stadium due to its poor condition, leaving Ghana with few options. As a result, the Black Stars may be forced to play their next home game against Sudan in October in neighboring countries such as Togo, Nigeria, or Ivory Coast.
In a statement, the Sports Ministry urged the GFA to request a CAF inspection of the Accra Sports Stadium and the University of Ghana Sports Stadium, highlighting that "most issues have been resolved" and calling for approval as suitable venues.
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The statement read: "The Minister has instructed the Ghana Football Association to request CAF's immediate inspection of the Accra Sports Stadium and the newly-built University of Ghana Sports Stadium for approval as Category 3 match venues for the Black Stars' next international match in October.
"Most of the concerns raised by CAF during a previous inspection of the Accra Sports Stadium have been addressed, while the University of Ghana Stadium, which has hosted CAF Category 2 matches, is awaiting an official inspection by CAF’s independent inspectors for potential approval as a Category 3 venue in line with CAF Stadium Regulations."
In addition, the Ministry has directed the National Sports Authority, responsible for facility maintenance, to "resolve issues with the pitch" at the Baba Yara Stadium.
The University of Ghana Sports Stadium hosted matches during the 13th African Games in March and the WAFU Zone B U-17 tournament in May, while the Accra Sports Stadium regularly hosts Ghana Premier League clubs and teams participating in CAF inter-club competitions, such as FC Samartex and Nsoatreman FC.
