Cape Coast Stadium has been placed under a ban by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) due to its below-standard quality for hosting international matches.
Consequently, Ghanaian champions Medeama have been compelled to relocate their CAF Champions’ League group matches to the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as an alternative venue.
This stadium closure will also affect Ghana’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Madagascar, as the Black Stars are now set to make Kumasi their preferred home ground.
The decision to close the Cape Coast Stadium came in a report submitted to the Ghana Football Association by CAF’s Technical Development Director, Raul Chipenda.
This report followed an inspection of the facility by CAF, which identified a range of shortcomings and deficiencies.
It recommended significant renovations and upgrades to bring the stadium in line with compliance requirements.
Key concerns highlighted in the CAF report encompassed issues related to the stadium’s functionality, design, comfort, and the quality of its equipment.
The inspection report ultimately concluded that various areas within the stadium necessitated upgrades and refurbishments to meet the contemporary requirements and standards expected of a modern football stadium.
Furthermore, CAF recommended that only construction and renovation companies with a proven track record in modern stadium projects should be engaged to execute the required refurbishments.
“Based on the inspection report, we regret to inform you that the stadium does not meet the set CAF stadium minimum requirements to host CAF Senior International matches,” the report said.
Mr. Chipenda stressed that the facility would only gain approval if all their recommendations were meticulously addressed following a re-inspection.
Kumasi has emerged as the preferred home ground for competitive matches involving the Black Stars since the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff with Nigeria last year. Prior to this shift, the team had traditionally played their matches on Cape Coast.
Medeama had previously hosted Remo Stars from Nigeria and Horoya AC from Guinea at the Cape Coast Stadium during the preliminary rounds of the Champions League.
However, following the recent CAF directive, the ‘Mauve and Yellow’ will now host their Group D rivals in Kumasi, with fixtures against CR Belouizad on December 1, Young Africans on December 8, and Al Ahly on February 23 next year.