Kumasi Asante Kotoko have been forced to play their home games at the Dr Kwame Kyei Sports Complex in Abrankese.

This comes after the National Sports Authority (NSA) announced the closure of the stadium for one month of renovation work.

The state of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium has dominated the media discussion after the Black Stars suffered a 1-0 defeat to Angola in their opener of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

The defeat means Ghana's 24-year unbeaten run at the stadium has been brought to a halt.

The defeat has been attributed to the poor state of the pitch, but Deputy Director General Majeed Bawa disputed the widespread criticism of the pitch’s condition.

“Are they suggesting that the Angolans were playing in the sky?" he told Asempa FM.

"They are all footballers. Those they assembled to play against the Black Stars are professionals, just like our team. They all played on the same pitch. CAF inspected and approved the pitch for the game.”

However, the NSA has nonetheless decided to shut down the stadium until October for maintenance and repairs, including the restoration of facilities vandalised by irate fans after the game.

With the Baba Yara Sports Stadium closed for maintenance, Kotoko will play their home games at the Dr Kwame Kyei Sports Complex for more than a month.

The Porcupine Warriors had been scheduled to host consecutive home games against Nsoatreman FC on matchday 2 and Young Apostles on matchday 3, within the specified period, but will now need to find an alternative venue due to the stadium’s closure.

The 2024/25 Ghana Premier League season will start on Saturday, September 7, with Asante Kotoko travelling to the Naa Sheriga Sports Complex to play Karela United.