Demolishing the Accra Sports Stadium is not an immediate option despite the engineering problems affecting the ageing facility, Acting Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) Prof. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong says.
The stadium’s deteriorating condition has led to concerns over safety in recent months, with calls for the structure to be pulled down and replaced.
However, Prof. Osei Sarpong says the authorities must first assess whether renovating the existing venue or building a new stadium would provide the best solution.
The NSA is examining the engineering challenges and working on ways to address them, but the process will have to be completed in stages.
“For me, Accra Sports Stadium is a very good place. We have an engineering problem, and so that is one of the things we are looking at, but we cannot fix everything at a go,” he told Citi Sports.
“We will explore the options to determine whether renovation or building a new stadium would be the best solution.”
Prof. Osei Sarpong said demolition was not viable in the immediate future and that the outstanding problems would need to be identified and dealt with progressively.
“In the interim, we cannot break Accra Sports Stadium down. So we need to look at the gaps one after the other and solve them gradually until we are sure the majority of the gaps are [addressed],” he said.
The Accra Sports Stadium is one of Ghana’s principal sporting venues. It hosted the Black Stars’ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Gambia last month.
The venue had also been expected to stage Ghana’s two consecutive AFCON qualifying matches against Somalia next month.
Possible change of venue
Those matches are now likely to be moved to Essipong Stadium in the Western Region, according to Prof. Osei Sarpong.
The NSA is seeking clarification from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over the proposed change.
The possible relocation comes while the authorities continue to assess the condition of Accra Sports Stadium and consider the long-term work required to restore the facility.
Prof. Osei Sarpong’s comments indicate that the NSA intends to address the stadium’s engineering gaps gradually rather than immediately pursuing either demolition or a complete replacement.