Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif has rejected claims by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that Ghana lacks FIFA-standard pitches for Black Stars matches.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Select Committee, he directly countered CAF’s assertion, stating that Cape Coast, Accra, and Kumasi have FIFA-approved pitches.
“We have FIFA-standard pitches in Cape Coast, Accra, and Kumasi,” Ussif said while addressing Parliament’s Sports Select Committee on Tuesday, September 24.
He also clarified that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) requested CAF to inspect both the Accra Sports Stadium and Cape Coast Sports Stadium but is still waiting for a response.
“We formally asked CAF to inspect the Accra and Cape Coast stadiums, but we haven’t received a reply yet,” Ussif added.
As the possibility of hosting the match in Togo, Nigeria, or Ivory Coast looms, the Sports Ministry remains hopeful that CAF will approve one of the local venues for the Black Stars’ critical 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Sudan on October 11.
This situation follows CAF’s recent ban on the Baba Yara Stadium, Ghana’s only approved venue for international matches, due to non-compliance with required standards.
