Sports News of Wednesday, 25 September 2024

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Witchcraft and foolishness - Reverend Obofour flares up over Ghana's lack of stadium for Black Stars matches

Leader of Anointed Palace Chapel (APC) Worldwide, Reverend Obofour Leader of Anointed Palace Chapel (APC) Worldwide, Reverend Obofour

The leader of Anointed Palace Chapel (APC) Worldwide, Reverend Kwaku Agyei Antwi, also known as Reverend Obofour, has hit out at the stakeholders in the Ghanaian football industry following the ban on Ghana by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) due to the terrible state of the country’s sporting infrastructure.

Delivering a sermon at his church, Reverend Obofour noted that only wickedness and foolishness would make a country allow its infrastructure to deteriorate to the point where it does not meet the standard for international matches.

Reverend Obofour, who struggled to understand Ghana’s situation, believes that the persons charged with the responsibility of managing the sporting facilities need to be questioned for their respective roles in the mess.

“If you aren’t a witch or foolish, why would you sit down and allow a country like Ghana without a standard stadium for matches? If not for witchcraft, how can you sit and allow a stadium to deplete to the level where it cannot be used? How can you look on while our stadiums go to waste?” he questioned.

On September 14, 2024, the Ghana Football Association announced that CAF has withdrawn the provisional approval it granted for the hosting of matches at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

Excerpts of the GFA statement state that “the decision was made after observations by CAF during the recent Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying match between Ghana and Angola, which was played at the Baba Yara Stadium on September 5th, 2024.

“Based on these observations, it was determined that the stadium did not meet the required standards for hosting Category 3 international matches.

The CAF team identified several issues, including a playing field that was deemed unsuitable for competitive matches. The stadium’s playing field had deteriorated significantly, with uneven surfaces, poor drainage, and inadequate grass cover.”



EK