Stadia will be used exclusively for sporting activities until we purchase pitch covers – NSA Board Chairman

The Chairman of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Seth Panwum, has revealed that stadia will now be used exclusively for sporting activities until the authority acquires pitch covers.

In July, the Baba Yara Sports Stadium was rented out for a five-day ‘Kumuyi’ Church program, which left the pitch in poor condition.

The Black Stars eventually lost 1-0 to Angola in their opening 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the venue earlier this month, with the state of the pitch becoming a major talking point.

Subsequently, the Confederation of African Football withdrew the facility’s license to host CAF Category Three matches.

As it stands, Ghana is set to host Sudan abroad due to the unavailability of a certified stadium in the country.

The incident has also led to the sacking of the NSA Director General by President Akufo-Addo.

“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 told the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports.

“It is no news when we go to other countries. Even Wembley is being used for concerts, but they ensure that they protect the pitch grass.

“So as a country, we have to discuss with our Minister of Finance, through our sector minister, to see how urgently they can help. Because we are also mandated to generate revenue, and our gate proceeds are insufficient to support us.”