Black Stars risk playing home matches abroad as Baba Yara pitch hosts crusade

Football administrator Samuel Anim Addo has warned that Ghana could soon be playing its home matches in neighbouring countries if the various stadiums continue to be handled with negligence.

This comes after a massive crude was held on the pitch of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi last week.

The Baba Yara Stadium is currently the country’s only approved venue for international matches and will host the Black Stars’ 2025 AFCON qualifier against Angola in five weeks' time.

However, the Deeper Christian Life Ministry held a crusade on the pitch last Thursday, without any protection of the grass.

In photos that went viral on social media, an erected stage and several canopies were mounted on the pitch, while thousands of people gathered on the raw grass.

Many Ghanaian fans have criticised the lack of protection of the stadium’s pitch and Anim Addo, who previously served as an Executive Council member of the GFA, has also added his voice.

“Do we want to play our home matches in another country because our stadiums are unfit for international matches due to the authorities’ negligence?” he told the Graphic Sports.

“We invest heavily in building stadiums, but we are not protecting them for sports. We love the game, but we don’t want to protect it.”

He added: “It’s a big disappointment,” said Mr Addo, a former member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council.

“This [protection of the pitches] has been an issue for discussion for a long time, but the National Sports Authority appears not ready to do the right thing to preserve the pitches. As a country, we must begin to sanction duty bearers to serve as a deterrent.”

Meanwhile, the Black Stars will face Angola in a 2025 AFCON qualifier at the Baba Yara Stadium on September 5.

Read Full Story