2025 AFCONQ: Possibility of playing abroad ‘a pity’ – Ghana coach Otto Addo
Ghana coach Otto Addo has expressed his disappointment over the nation’s ongoing stadium crisis, calling it “a pity”, as the search for a CAF-approved venue continues for their next home match in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
CAF revoked the approval of the Baba Yara Stadium, describing the pitch as “an unsuitable playing field.”
With no other stadium in the country currently meeting CAF’s standards, there is a real possibility that Ghana may have to play their next home match abroad.
The Black Stars are set to face Sudan in October, aiming to get their qualification campaign back on track after picking up one point from two matches against Angola and Niger.
“It’s really a pity. We always love to play in front of our home crowd but at the end of the day we have to do the best out of this situation,” Addo said.
“If we have to play somewhere else, then it’s like that. I don’t want to use my energy to think too much about that because it’s not in our hands, there is nothing we can do about it, its CAF’s decision.
“I hope that we manage all the things so that we can play at home as fast as possible for our crowd to see us,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has ‘instructed’ the Ghana Football Association to seek CAF’s approval for the Accra Sports Stadium and University of Ghana Stadium for the upcoming clash.
The Ministry also ‘directed’ the National Sports Authority, which oversees facility maintenance, to “take steps to resolve issues with the pitch” at the Baba Yara Stadium.
The poor condition of the Baba Yara Stadium’s turf is due to a five-day ‘Kumuyi’ Church program held in July.
Renting out national stadiums has become the NSA’s primary source of income, but the practice has proven counterproductive, as the facilities are often left in a deteriorated state.
Over the years, the Cape Coast, Accra, and Baba Yara stadiums have all failed to meet “required standards” due to being rented out for social events.