Emmanuel Newton Dasoberi, a CAF stadium inspector, has emphasized the need for specialized experts in stadium management to guarantee compliance with FIFA and CAF standards for matches.
Dasoberi pointed out that the National Sports Authority (NSA), responsible for overseeing state-owned stadiums, has fallen short in ensuring that these venues meet the established standards set by FIFA and CAF.
In an interview with Graphic Sports, the CAF official stressed the importance of initiating a national discussion on effective stadium management strategies to align with the criteria outlined by football regulatory bodies.
“We need a national dialogue on this matter. If we don’t agree as a nation that we do not have what it takes to host international matches, then we are going nowhere.
“The long-term plan is to agree and prioritise whatever we need. We cannot say that we are going to renovate all the five. It is not possible to maintain five stadia at the level CAF or FIFA wants. We must agree as a long-term measure to get the experts involved, get a contractor like CAF has rightly mentioned, get the pitch experts, people who are seriously into construction to do the right thing.
“If we don’t turn to have the right management approach, nothing is going to work. We must, as a country, understand that things have changed. Football is changing and playing in a stadium is not only about the playing field.”
Emmanuel Newton Dasoberi’s statements come after CAF noted that the Cape Coast Stadium does not meet the standard to host the CAF Champions League.
