Sports Minister Kofi Adams Announces Renovation of Cape Coast Stadium for Exclusive Use by Black Stars
In a significant move for Ghanaian football, the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has announced plans to renovate the Cape Coast Stadium, designating it exclusively for the national men’s football team, the Black Stars.
This decision comes in response to the country’s deteriorating sports infrastructure, which has led to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) temporarily banning Ghana from hosting international matches at home due to a lack of certified stadiums for Category A games.
Adams emphasized the urgency of the refurbishment during an interview with TV3, stating, “If you look at the key stadium facilities we have, Cape Coast is the one that we will not spend so much to refurbish quickly. We will not allow any club to play there; it will be kept as a national stadium for the Black Stars only, for the meantime.”
The government aims to have the stadium ready for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers scheduled for September and October. Adams further noted plans to subsequently close the Accra and Kumasi stadiums for renovations to ensure they meet competition standards.
The Cape Coast Stadium has been notably inactive in hosting international matches since November 2021, when Ghana secured a 1-0 victory against South Africa in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. Since that match, the stadium has struggled to meet CAF’s licensing standards, preventing it from hosting Category A games.
This refurbishment plan is a crucial step towards restoring Ghana’s footballing reputation and ensuring that the Black Stars have a suitable home ground as they prepare for critical matches in their quest for World Cup qualification.
