Ghana’s minister for sports and recreation, Kofi Adams, has announced the Accra Sports Stadium will be closed for comprehensive renovations following the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Chad.
This decision was made amid growing concerns about the deteriorating state of Ghana’s sports infrastructure, which recently led to temporary bans from hosting international matches.
In a recent interview with 3Sports, Adams revealed the urgent need to close the Accra Sports Stadium after Ghana’s World Cup qualifier against Chad on Friday, describing it as a “mess” that requires significant refurbishment to meet international standards.
“We have to close the Accra Sports Stadium to refurbish it and bring it up to standard,” Adams stated firmly.Â
“Following the assessment that we did, the engineers advised that the entire upper stand towards the Independence Square must not be utilized because it has integrity issues, so we will not have supporters there,” he added.
Inspections of the stadium revealed serious structural problems and safety concerns at the stadium. Adams highlighted the poor condition of essential infrastructure during his assessment of the facility.
“When we were assessing the floodlights, if you look at the knobs that hold the lights, everything is rusty. The stadium is virtually in a mess.”
The Accra Sports Stadium last underwent major renovations in 2018 in preparation for that year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament hosted by Ghana. However, the facility has since fallen into disrepair, with multiple issues now requiring urgent attention.
While some improvements have been made in preparation for the upcoming match, including “upgrades to the pitch, dressing rooms, sanitary facilities, and air-conditioning,” more comprehensive work is necessary to fully restore the venue.
The stadium had already been closed for several months after hosting Ghana’s final match against Niger last November in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
In a strategic move to address Ghana’s stadium challenges, Adams announced plans to renovate the Cape Coast Stadium and designate it exclusively for use by the national team, the Black Stars.
“If you look at the key stadium facilities we have, Cape Coast is the one that we will not spend so much to refurbish it quickly, and not allow any club to play there; just keep it as a national stadium for Black Stars only, for the meantime.”
According to Adams, the goal is to have the Cape Coast Stadium ready in time for Ghana’s next round of World Cup qualifiers.
“So we would have prepared it for the September and October window when we play the next qualifiers. After that, we can close Accra and Kumasi as well and make sure they are refurbished for competitions.”
The Cape Coast Stadium, which boasts a 15,000-seat capacity, has not hosted an international football match since November 2021, when Ghana secured a 1-0 victory over South Africa in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier.Â
Since then, it has failed to meet CAF stadium licensing standards, falling into disrepair like many of the country’s other major sporting facilities.Â
The situation has been further complicated by CAF and FIFA’s ban on using the Baba Yara Stadium for international matches, leaving Ghana with limited options for hosting competitive fixtures.
Ghana’s national team, the Black Stars, are set to face Chad in their matchday 5 fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday, March 21st, before travelling to Morocco for their matchday 6 clash against Madagascar on March 24h.
