The Board Chairman of Ghana’s National Sports Authority (NSA), Seth Panwum, has announced a new directive restricting all national stadia to solely sporting events until pitch covers can be acquired.
This strict measure comes after the Baba Yara Sports Stadium lost its Category Three license from the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The ban was imposed earlier this year when the stadium’s pitch suffered significant damage after being leased for a five-day church event just days before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Angola. Ghana subsequently lost that match 1-0, a result widely blamed on the poor state of the field.
The licensing revocation means Ghana must now find an alternative venue for its upcoming match against Sudan next month.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports, Panwum confirmed the NSA’s resolution:
“We’ve also directed that none of our sporting stadiums should be used for anything other than sporting activities until such time that we can have pitch covers.”
Panwum noted that while major international venues, like Wembley, are used for concerts, they utilize pitch protection. He acknowledged the need for the NSA to generate revenue but stated that due to insufficient gate proceeds, they must lobby the Minister of Finance for urgent assistance to acquire the necessary pitch covers.
In a related development, the Director General of the NSA, Dodzie Numekevor, has been sacked by President Akufo-Addo following the CAF ban and the resulting loss of hosting rights.
