Meadeama SC now has one option, which is to play their CAf Champions League home games at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
CAF denied Medeama the opportunity to play their home games at the Cape Coast Stadium as they adopted the venue as their home in the preliminary round.
Medeama’s new Tarkwa and Aboso (T&A) Stadium, which is under construction will not be ready until 2024. The 2023/2024 CAF Champions League commences on 25th November with Medeama travelling to Cairo to face defending champions Al Ahly. They will host Belouizdad in MD2 and it will likely be at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.
Ghana Football Venues
Ghana had as many as four proper venues during the 2008 MTN AFCON. Ohene Djan Stadium and Baba Yara Stadium were upgraded to modern standards with 40,000 seater capacity each.
The Tamale Sports Stadium and Sekondi-Takoradi or Essipong Stadium venues were newly built in 2008 for the AFCON. Both venues have a 20,000-seated capacity.
Coronation Park in Sunyani houses 5,000 spectators. It was upgraded and modernised in 2008 ahead of the AFCON albeit it was not among the venues for the tournament.
The El Wak Stadium has a seating capacity of 7,000 and is located in Cantonments, Accra. Owned by the Ghana Armed Forces, the venue has been used previously by clubs like Hearts of Oak, Great Olympics and Inter Allies.
Tema Sports Stadium, Wa Sports Stadium, Koforidua Sports Stadium, Ho Sports Stadium, Kpando Stadium and Swedru Sports Stadium are all venues that host a lot of sporting activities in the country.
The Story State of the Venues
Koforidua Sports Stadium was upgraded for the first time in 60 years a couple of weeks ago. It is the latest and most modern sports edifice in the country and it houses 5,000 spectators.
Accra Sports Stadium and Baba Yara, the nation’s biggest venues are in shambles. These two venues have passed their prime as CAF has been telling us. Everything about those venues is disgusting; poor seating, horrible scoreboard, poor pitches and washrooms.
Tamale Sports Stadium has lost its beauty. Cape Coast Stadium couldn’t pass the CAF test due to the bad state of the venue.
The other venues are not fit to hold any CAF and FIFA competitions.
Who should we blame for the state of the venues?
The National Sports Authority (NSA) must be blamed heavily for the condition of the venues. One of their functions is to provide and maintain centres and facilities that are used by all sportsmen and sportswomen. They are also to maintain all playing fields and stadia provided by the body known as the National Playing Fields Board or any Body approved by the commissioner. They have failed in the maintenance of our venues.
Citizens have to take their fair share of the blame for intentionally destroying the stadium.
How do we maintain them?
Ghana’s maintenance culture is so dreadful. Ghanaians seem to have no reason to protect anything that belongs to the state. Constant checks must be conducted consistently. The authorities in charge of the stadiums must be forced to render accounts.
The laws must deal with fans who will deliberately try to destroy anything in the stadium.
Time for New Venue?
Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and Guinea all have FIFA-approved venues.
Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, and Algeria all have more than 4 FIFA-approved stadiums.
What is preventing us from constructing an ultra-modern Sports Complex? All the Sports facilities in the country are archaic and it’s embarrassing for the country.
The story state of Ghanaian Sports Stadia is very pathetic and something must be done about it with immediate effect.
