Kudos MoYS, NSA, but…

The news of the Accra and Cape Coast Sports Stadiums getting approval of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to host Category 3 matches was a welcome piece of news.

Like is said in our local parlance, the decision actually ‘saved our skin.’

It would have sounded very disgraceful to hear Ghana moving from one country to the other, looking for a place to ‘host’ our international matches.

It would have been the lowest ebb to which our football dropped.

Kudos to the agencies responsible for this swift action – the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) and the National Sports Authority (NSA).

The two agencies deserve a praise for the short period within which they managed to turn things around; but where there are blames, they cannot not also escape.

And in this instance, the blame would lie squarely at their doorstep for sitting for too long, ignoring concerns of players and media reports about problems with playing on the field.

Whatever problems can be identified at the various stadia across the country did not happen in a single day. It was a gradual thing, yet the authorities ignored it because, expenditures on them may not be ones with immediate rewards.

They were only in a haste to do business with either Shatta Wale or Stonebwoy for quick financial returns.

One would wonder why venues like the Baba Yara, Accra, Cape Coast and Aliu Mahama (Tamale) sports stadiums would all deteriorate and nothing would be done about them.

Perhaps, to prove to Ghanaians that those in charge of the facilities are on top of their jobs, a small fly in the person of Dodzi Numekevor was fired from post as Acting Director General of the NSA over problems that had persisted for many years when he was actually in office for just six months.

But instead of dwelling on the past, it is important to move on and make sure Ghana as a country do not return to these dark times with sports infrastructure.

And the wording of the CAF communication to the Football Association must always keep us on our toes.

The letter from CAF to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) General Secretary, Prosper Harrison Addo (Esq.) read:

“Following a comprehensive review of the reports of the CAF independent inspection regarding the Cape Coast and Accra Sports Stadia, we are pleased to inform you that the Accra Sports Stadium has been approved to host the AFCON Qualifiers for Morocco 2025. Specifically, it will host the Group F – Matchday 3 encounter between Ghana and Sudan, which is scheduled for October 11, 2024.

In light of this approval, we kindly request that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the stadium management team to prioritise the necessary enhancements to the pitch and other critical areas of the stadium leading up to the match day to ensure an optimal experience for both teams and the attending fans.

Please note that CAF will continue to closely monitor the readiness of the stadium for this match, as well as for future CAF-sanctioned events.”

The approval therefore is specifically for the Black Stars-Sudan encounter. Other Category 3 matches would require similar approvals, the reason of the quest improve the state of the various venues must be sustained.

 By Andrew Nortey