Tackling the Stadium Merry-Go-Round

Asante Kotoko’s recent struggles before dispatching Kwara United of Nigeria in the first round of the CAF Confederations Cup qualifiers highlight a persistent challenge for Ghanaian football: stadium readiness. With the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in poor condition at the time, Kotoko were forced to play their first-leg match in Accra, as other venues around the country failed to meet CAF standards.

While Accra offered vibrant fan support, it also came with a notable “against” factor—many Nigerian fans in the capital provided vocal support for their team, impacting Kotoko’s performance. Despite this, Kotoko edged Kwara United 4–3 in the first leg and secured a 1–0 win in the second leg to progress on a 5–3 aggregate.

Next, Kotoko faces Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca, a team with a stellar record domestically and internationally:

• Domestic titles: 22 Moroccan League titles, 9 Moroccan Throne Cups, 1 Independence Cup.
• Continental/international titles: 3 CAF Champions Leagues, 1 African Cup Winners’ Cup (now CAF Confederations Cup), 1 CAF Super Cup, 1 Afro-Asian Club Championship, 1 Mohammed V Cup, 1 Arab Club Champions Cup, 1 Arab Super Cup, 3 North African Championships, 1 North African Cup.

Given the strength of this opposition, Kotoko’s focus should be on performance—but the conversation remains fixated on where the match will be played, as the readiness of Baba Yara Stadium remains uncertain. Renovations, including work on the playing surface, have been ongoing, with recent reports indicating the stadium is about 80% ready ahead of the October 19 fixture.

This issue reflects a broader infrastructural challenge in Ghanaian sports facilities, which has persisted for over a decade. Past venues such as Essipon Stadium, Aliu Mahama Stadium in Tamale, and Cape Coast Sports Stadium—built to ease pressures during the 2008 African Cup of Nations—are now in poor condition, barely meeting standards for international competitions. The University of Ghana Stadium is currently serving as a temporary alternative, but without long-term planning, it risks joining the ranks of neglected facilities.

To move beyond this “stadium merry-go-round,” decisive action is needed. This may involve reconstructing major venues, such as Accra’s or Kumasi’s stadiums, to ensure Ghana has world-class facilities capable of hosting international events without repeated last-minute fixes.

Ghanaian football deserves infrastructure that matches its ambition—anything less is a temporary and insufficient solution.

By Andrew Nortey

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