Otto Addo Reacts to Hosting Games Outside
The head coach of the Black Stars, Coach Otto Addo has reacted to a directive by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for Ghana to select a venue outside the country to host their next Africa Cup of Nation (AFCON) tournament qualifier.
In a short interview, Addo said it’s a “pity”.
“If it comes like this, it’s really a pity. Surely we always want to play in front of our home crowd but at the end of the day, we have to do our best in the face of the situation.”
But he believes there is no need to cry over spilt milk and so is focused on investing all his energy into preparation and getting the needed results for Ghanaians.
“If we have to play somewhere else, I don’t want to use my energy to think too much about that because there is nothing we can do about it. It’s a CAF decision and we have to do our best.”
Many Ghanaians have expressed their disappointment over the development. Former Black Stars Captain, Stephen Appiah in a social media post called it an embarrassment.
Withdrawal
The CAF in a letter charged Ghana to find a new venue outside the country to host their October home game against Sudan in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers as it noted that the Baba Yara Sports Stadium is not fit for purpose.
The Baba Yara Sports Stadium held a right to host Category 3 international matches, but it was stripped after officials of the Confederation observed the deteriorated and poor state of the venue based in Kumasi.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) communicated the decision by CAF to the public on Wednesday, September 11, 2024.
CAF as part of the remedy, directed Ghanaian authorities to invest in upgrading the facility to meet international standards.
The letter from CAF recommended that the relevant authorities “conduct a comprehensive assessment of all major international stadiums in Ghana to ensure they comply with CAF technical standards”.
Additionally, CAF advised that the stadium management engage experienced companies immediately to undertake the necessary refurbishment to meet CAF/FIFA standards.
The African football governing body also expressed its commitment to supporting Ghana in bringing its stadiums up to the required standards for hosting CAF/FIFA senior international matches, offering to assist by providing an international pitch consultant with experience in major international competitions, including AFCON, to offer additional expert guidance on the necessary improvements. The cost of this support would be borne by the GFA.
CAF went on to indicate that once the needed renovation works were completed, it would, at the GFA’s request and expense, conduct an independent inspection to reassess the stadium’s suitability for future matches.
