Hindsight: Where will Ghana host Somalia?

These days, every Black Stars match is preceded by one divisive, logic-defying topic. In fairness, controversies have been par for the course for as long as the Black Stars have existed. Except these days, they hit with the force of wave energy on a sea defence built too close to the ocean, destructive and ultimately embarrassing. Two weeks ago, the appointment of the Black Queens’ coach, Kim Lars Bjorkegren, as the interim Black Stars coach, made the headlines.

It was destructive because it threw the Black Queens’ chances of Olympic qualification (their intercontinental play-offs are within nine days of the Black Stars match) into jeopardy. It was embarrassing because it exposed Ghana’s poverty of coaching options and essentially the poor decisions by the Kurt Okraku-led administration that have led us to this point.

Even before the dust could settle on that one, we are confronted with another: the venue, or the lack of it, for Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 Qualifier against Somalia. The match was originally scheduled to be played at the Accra Sports Stadium. However, details from CAF’s last inspection at the stadium, coupled with the current state of the facility, has created doubts.

So what did the report say? Accra Sports Stadium CAF described the Accra Sports Stadium as having suffered advanced deterioration, particularly affecting metallic structures, which are heavily corroded and rusted. The stadium’s mechanisms (or the lack of them) for crowd management, emergency evacuation systems, media facilities, and security systems were all flagged.

The stadium has not had electronic turnstiles and automated access control systems, God-knows-how-long, and CAF identified that as a factor in making effective spectator management difficult. CAF has classified the facility as partially compliant, requiring major improvements before it can host the tournament. Source: Ministry of Youth and Sports Ill-timed rentals Even before CAF’s report went public, the stadium was rented out for musician Shatta Wale’s musical concert.

While the images from the event were magnificent, the after-party shots of the pitch were anything but. One half of the playing surface appeared to have been stripped of all grass, leaving brown patches right across the penalty box and for significant parts. When the stadium was last used for September qualifiers, the state of the pitch only escaped scrutiny because the Black Stars’ performance made nonsense of everything else.

And I do not mean this as a compliment. Since Ghana hosted Gambia on 29th September, the stadium has not hosted any league match. Yet, in the one month of rest, the playing surface has somehow further deteriorated. The simple truth is, while the pitch rested, everyone responsible for its maintenance also looked away. So Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, the National Sports Authority’s former Director-General, was busy fighting off allegations of VISA racketeering.

The rest of the government machinery spent time investigating him, while navigating the maze of satisfying party interests versus actual competence when it came to finding Ampofo Ankrah’s replacement. In the end, the stadium has been left worse than it was. Even if its hosts the match, what kind of risk does it pose to the players? Will they even turn up?

In September, Mohammed Kudus, Jordan Ayew, Alidu Seidu, Nathaniel Adjei, Prince Adu Kwabena and Antoine Semenyo all withdrew from Ghana’s squad for the matches against Ivory Coast and the Gambia over different fitness issues. Thomas Partey, Baba Rahman and Alexander Djiku were also ruled out with various injuries. If the six players who withdrew did so because they did not want to risk aggravating their conditions or suffering any setbacks, then it is logical to expect there will be some concerns over the quality of the pitch that has since become worse.

What is the alternative? Sekondi Sports Stadium? That would be out of character. It is what we do. We find a shiny new toy, and it becomes our new addiction. But it is not exactly a shiny, new toy. Is it? The roof and seats have been replaced. That appears to be the case. The pitch has not been relayed. Nothing else has been fixed. But is that enough to meet CAF requirements considering its past?

Before its closure in 2019, the stadium’s drainage and irrigation systems had become obsolete. It had no functional CCTV surveillance system, automated access control, or electronic spectator counting. Just like the Accra and Baba Yara Stadiums, its dressing rooms were undersized and inadequately equipped. The media facilities were simply foldable seats and nothing else.

But CAF has a remarkably flexible concept of strict enforcement of its licensing regulations. Be it Sekondi or Accra, Ghana will host Somalia on November 12, 2026. Not because it has facilities that meet CAF’s standards, but thanks to CAF’s twisted sense of leniency. But for how long?