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Sports News of Friday, 13 September 2024

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

11 African countries banned from hosting home games due to poor stadium facilities

The Accra Sports Stadium pitch The Accra Sports Stadium pitch

Ghanaian sports journalist Saddick Adams has revealed that several African countries have been banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) from hosting football matches at their home stadiums due to poor facilities.

These countries include Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Sao Tome, Burundi, and most recently, Ghana.

Ghana was added to the list after CAF deemed the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi unfit for international matches.

Saddick Adams shared on X, "Some of African countries currently banned from playing football at home due to poor football facilities. Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Sao Tome, Ghana and Burundi. Tell me what you see."

As a result of the ban, these countries must play their matches in other African nations with stadiums that meet CAF's standards.

For instance, Niger played against the Black Stars in Morocco during the 2025 African Cup of Nations Qualifiers, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Regarding Ghana's situation, CAF withdrew approval for the Baba Yara Stadium after identifying several issues, including an uneven playing field, poor drainage, and inadequate grass cover.

This decision followed the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying match between Ghana and Angola on September 5, 2024.

In response, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has instructed the Ghana Football Association to invite CAF officials to inspect the Accra Sports Stadium and the Legon Stadium to determine if they meet the requirements to host Black Stars games.

Read the tweet below:



SB/MA