Yaw Ampofo Ankrah
The Accra Sports Stadium will not host competitive football matches until Ghana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against The Gambia, according to National Sports Authority (NSA) Director General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
The decision means clubs that planned to use the stadium as their home ground for the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season will have to find alternative venues.
Hearts of Oak are among the clubs likely to be affected as the new league season gets underway this weekend.
Ampofo Ankrah explained that the temporary closure will allow renovation and maintenance works to be completed while ensuring the facility meets the required Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards.
He said the stadium is expected to remain unavailable until Ghana’s home Group C qualifier against The Gambia on September 27, 2026.
The Black Stars will open their AFCON qualifying campaign three days earlier, travelling to Bouaké to face Ivory Coast at the Stade de la Paix on September 24.
Ghana will then return to Accra to host The Gambia in their first home fixture of the qualifying campaign.
The Black Stars are scheduled to face Somalia twice in November before concluding the group stage with fixtures against Ivory Coast and The Gambia in March 2027.
Ghana are aiming to return to the AFCON after missing out on the previous edition in Morocco, making qualification for the 2027 tournament a key target for the team.
BY Wletsu Ransford