“It was a dry field” – Somalia Captain complains about Sekondi Stadium pitch

Somalia's captain, Abdulsamed Abdullahi, expressed dissatisfaction with the pitch conditions at the Sekondi Sports Stadium after his team's 2-0 defeat to Ghana in a 2027 AFCON Qualifier. Speaking post-match, Abdullahi noted, "To be honest, it was a dry field. A little bit hard to get good pace on the ball." This is the second match played on the pitch since the stadium underwent renovation.

The stadium previously hosted a Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games Qualifier match, where the Black Queens defeated Mauritius 7-1. In October, the Confederation of African Football granted temporary approval for the stadium to host Ghana's two matches against Somalia. The reverse fixture, between Ghana and Somalia, is scheduled for November 16, 2026, at 15:00 hours.

Currently, Somalia sits at the bottom of Group C, having lost all three games in the tournament, leaving them out of contention for the automatic qualifying slot. They would need a remarkable turnaround, winning on Monday by a significant margin and securing wins in their remaining matches to stand any chance of qualifying. As of now, Ivory Coast leads the group with nine points, followed by The Gambia on six, while Ghana has three points after their recent victory.