2027 AFCONQ: Black Stars to host home games at Accra Sports Stadium after CAF clearance

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has granted Ghana’s Accra Sports Stadium the green light to host international football matches, enabling the Black Stars to resume playing there for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. This comes after months of renovations carried out by the National Sports Authority (NSA) to bring the stadium up to CAF’s standards, following a previous certification lapse.

The first home match in Ghana’s 2027 AFCON qualifiers is scheduled for September 27th, when they will face Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium. Prior to this, Ghana opens their Group C campaign with an away match against Ivory Coast on September 24th, later returning home to host Gambia three days afterwards.

CAF’s approval eliminates uncertainty regarding Ghana’s capability to host significant international fixtures at the Accra Sports Stadium. This venue had faced challenges meeting international standards in recent times, leading Ghana to temporarily consider alternative venues for some home matches. Last month, opposition politician Dickson Kyere-Duah from Berekum West labeled the stadium as a "death trap," underscoring broader concerns about Ghana’s sporting infrastructure.

However, the stadium’s re-certification by CAF not only revives Ghana’s home games but also positions it as a valuable alternative venue for other African nations lacking facilities that comply with international standards. Currently, Niger, in Group A alongside Morocco, Gabon, and Lesotho, and Somalia, in the same Group C as Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Gabon, have both been given permission to use the Accra Sports Stadium for their respective home matches during the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.

This could mean the stadium will host several matches involving teams competing in Group C. The competition’s final phase, the Africa Cup of Nations, will see the top two teams from each qualifying group advance to the tournament, which will be jointly held by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from June 19th to July 17th, 2027. For Ghana, returning to the familiar ground of the Accra Sports Stadium marks a significant step as they strive to qualify for the AFCON after being absent from the 2025 tournament in Morocco.