Ghana’s Accra Sports Stadium has received approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to stage international matches, clearing the way for the Black Stars to use the iconic venue during their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
The development follows a period of rehabilitation works carried out by the National Sports Authority (NSA) as efforts were made to bring the facility in line with CAF’s requirements for international competitions.
The stadium had previously been removed from CAF’s list of approved venues, leaving Ghana facing the possibility of playing its home matches at alternative stadiums.
The Black Stars are now scheduled to return to Accra on 27 September, when they take on Gambia in their first home fixture of the qualifying campaign. The match will come three days after Ghana’s away encounter against Ivory Coast.
The return of the Accra Sports Stadium to the approved list comes amid long-standing concerns about the condition of some of Ghana’s major sporting facilities. Questions have been raised in recent years over whether the country’s stadiums can consistently satisfy the standards required by both CAF and FIFA.
Those concerns were highlighted earlier this month when Berekum West MP Dickson Kyere-Duah described the Accra Sports Stadium as a “death trap”, drawing attention to the broader debate surrounding the maintenance and safety of Ghana’s sporting infrastructure.
CAF’s latest approval could also benefit other national teams that do not have an approved home venue, as the Accra Sports Stadium may now become an option for countries seeking a neutral venue for their home fixtures.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, with the tournament scheduled to run from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
During the qualification process, the top two nations in each group will earn tickets to the continental showpiece.
For Ghana, the approval of the Accra Sports Stadium provides the Black Stars with a familiar home ground as they begin their pursuit of another appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations.