Are they suggesting the Angolans were playing in the sky? - NSA boss quizzes after Black Stars loss
The Deputy Director General of the National Sports Authority, Majeed Bawa, has hit back at criticism over the poor condition of the Baba Yara Stadium pitch, ironically questioning if Angola "were playing in the sky" during their recent 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ghana.
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Ahead of the match, social media was flooded with images of the substandard playing surface, which drew widespread concern. After the game, Ghana coach Otto Addo partially blamed a defensive error by centre-back Abdul Mumin on the poor state of the pitch, describing it as "not good."
In response, Mr Bawa dismissed the criticisms. “Are they suggesting the Angolans were playing in the sky? Both teams are professionals, and they played on the same pitch,” Majeed said in an interview with Asempa FM.
He further emphasised that the pitch had been inspected and approved by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) prior to the game, adding, “Let’s just focus on what happened. Even the fans were calling for changes around the 60th minute."
Angola's head coach, Pedro Goncalves, also criticised the stadium's condition despite his team's 1-0 victory, stating that "a country like Ghana deserves a better pitch and a better national stadium."
The deterioration of the pitch was attributed to a five-day religious event held at the stadium in July. The loss leaves Ghana in third place in Group F, with Angola and Sudan leading. The Black Stars will face Niger in their next match on Monday, September 9, as they seek to recover from the setback.
Listen to the interview below;
'Are they suggesting that the Angolans played in the sky? They all played on the same pitch.'
— #JoySports (@JoySportsGH) September 6, 2024
NSA Deputy Director, Majeed Bawa, responds to Baba Yara Sports Stadium pitch backlash after Black Stars' defeat.#JoySports | 🎥@Asempa947_FM pic.twitter.com/XU7rZkWV3x
