Time for accountable, sustainable sports facility management

Ghana’s football is reeling following a recent decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to revoke the approval of the Baba Yara Stadium for international matches.

An inspection conducted during Ghana's 2025 AFCON qualifier against Angola on September 5 revealed significant technical deficiencies, notably with the pitch, which was deemed unsuitable for international competition.

The shock decision by the continental body has left the Black Stars without a home venue for their critical AFCON qualifier against Sudan on October 7 and highlighted the broader issue of mismanagement within our sports infrastructure.

With CAF flagging concerns about both the Cape Coast Stadium and the Accra Sports Stadium, the Black Stars now face the stark possibility of playing their remaining qualifiers on foreign soil – an embarrassing prospect of a football country like Ghana not having a suitable venue to host international matches.

In a desperate bid to salvage the situation, the Ministry of Youth and Sports last Thursday issued an urgent directive to the Ghana Football Association (GFA), instructing it to invite the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to inspect two alternative stadiums in Accra.

This crisis begs the question: how did we get here? Over the past three years, the government has invested substantial funds in rehabilitating these key stadiums, yet the state of these facilities suggest that the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the ministry have failed to uphold their responsibilities and left our national teams vulnerable as they may not enjoy the passionate home support during matches.

The glaring lack of maintenance and failure to address CAF's compliance issues point to a wider problem of accountability and ineffective management which has led to this critical breakdown.

It has resulted in growing calls for a complete reassessment of how Ghana manages its sports facilities, as the government has been urged to transfer control to private companies with a proven track record in facility management. 

The benefits of private sector involvement in stadium management are clear. Private firms with expertise in sports facility management will not only ensure proper maintenance but can also introduce innovative revenue-generating strategies to sustain these infrastructure.

Indeed, the NSA has struggled to balance its mandate of maintaining stadiums while raising funds through non-sporting events such as concerts and religious events.

The Accra Sports Stadium, for instance, has been a victim of such decisions, leading to the deterioration of its pitch due to the failure of the NSA to apply best practices during such non-sporting activities.

The need for expert management is clear, as maintaining top-tier football pitches requires significant financial resources and technical expertise — something the NSA has consistently failed to deliver.

One of Ghana’s leading pitch consultants,  the CEO of Green Grass Technology, Frank Boahene, has long highlighted the financial challenges in maintaining Ghana’s pitches.

His experience in managing pitches during the 2008 AFCON is a testament to the importance of having skilled professionals in charge of such critical infrastructure. The overuse of stadiums without adequate recovery time has further compounded the problem.

It is clear that the NSA, under its current structure, is struggling to meet the demands of modern sports facility management. The time has come for the government to reassess its approach. Private-sector partnerships have the potential to reverse the current decline and ensure that our stadiums are managed to international standards.

Countries around the world have successfully implemented such models, and Ghana should follow suit.

As the country looks to use the University of Ghana Stadium and the Borteyman Sports Complex — which cost the nation over $180 million to host the 2023 African Games — to support the long-term development of sports in Ghana, including the proposed University for Sports Development, there is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the past.

The government's investment in these new facilities will only bear fruit if a sustainable management model is adopted.  The Daily Graphic believes the time for action is now.

The government must ensure the NSA and other relevant duty-bearers are alive to their responsibilities while seriously considering adopting a sustainable, private-sector-driven model to ensure that our stadiums are managed by qualified professionals to meet international standards.