Baba Yara Stadium not fit to host any game - NSA boss Yaw Ampofo Ankrah

The Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, has raised concerns about the poor state of the Baba Yara Stadium, describing it as not fit to host any game.

Mr Ampofo Ankrah and some members of the NSA in Kumasi inspected the facility on Thursday.

Speaking to the media, the former BBC journalist admitted the pitch is currently unfit for competitive football, noting that several factors, including unfavourable weather conditions, have worsened its state in recent weeks.

“The state of the pitch at the moment, well yeah, you can see it – you cannot even play colts football on the pitch. The weather, which is a natural source, has not been too favourable in this part of the country over the past few weeks,” he explained.

He also revealed that Kotoko had officially requested to use the stadium as their home venue for the upcoming season, but stressed that the venue must first meet required standards.

“Kotoko officially wrote to us just over a week ago. They wish to use this venue, but like we can all see, we need to make sure everything is in perfect condition before that can be done,” Ampofo Ankrah said.

He added that turf management experts, including Doc from KNUST and Frank Boahin, have been engaged to assess the pitch and provide a realistic restoration timeline.

“If the pitch can be resuscitated in the next few weeks, it is possible, but I cannot sit here and guarantee that. That is why we’ve brought in experts with years of experience so we give the right information, not speculation,” he said.

Ampofo Ankrah emphasised the need for collaboration and urgency to ensure the work is completed within the recommended timeline.

“We need to put our act together, join forces, and make sure it happens. The experts have given us a timeline, and we must work hard to meet or even beat that deadline,” he concluded.

If the Baba Yara Stadium does not meet the timeline, then Asante Kotoko and Bibiani GoldStars will have to resort to a different venue for their upcoming Africa campaign.

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