NSA denies Hearts of Oak permission for GPL Match at Accra Sports Stadium

The National Sports Authority (NSA) has denied Hearts of Oak permission to play their scheduled Ghana Premier League (GPL) match against Nations FC on Wednesday at the Accra Sports Stadium, citing a special request from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) that has not yet been approved.

This decision adds to Hearts of Oak’s ongoing challenges with their home venues.

Historically, the Accra Sports Stadium has been the traditional home ground for Hearts of Oak, a club founded in 1911 and one of Ghana’s most storied football teams, with a record of 21 Premier League titles.

The stadium, with a capacity of 35,000, has hosted many of their iconic matches, including their fierce rivalry games against Asante Kotoko.

However, the team has frequently had to adapt to alternative venues due to issues with stadium availability.

For much of the 2024-25 season, Hearts of Oak adopted the University of Ghana Stadium as their temporary home ground, where they played several matches, including a notable 1-0 victory over Heart of Lions on January 31, 2025, and a clash against Nsoatreman FC on November 23, 2024.

Despite these wins, the University of Ghana Stadium was rejected by the GFA’s club licensing committee earlier in March 2025 for hosting GPL matches due to an uneven pitch surface and security concerns, as reported in posts on X. This forced Hearts of Oak to seek other options.

In previous years, the club has also shifted venues due to renovations and scheduling conflicts at the Accra Sports Stadium.