{
  "id": 19777159,
  "title": "“It was a dry field” – Somalia Captain complains about Sekondi Stadium pitch",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/it-was-a-dry-field-somalia-captain-complains-about-sekondi-stadium",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T08:08:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/it-was-a-dry-field-somalia-captain-complains-about-sekondi-stadium-pitch/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "Somalia captain Abdulsamed Abdullahi has raised concerns about the state of the pitch at the Sekondi Sports Stadium, following his sides 2-0 loss to Ghana. Speaking after Thursday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2027) Qualifier, Abdullahi said “To be honest, it was a dry field. A little bit hard to get good pace on […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Somalia captain complains about dry, hard pitch conditions.",
    "Match was second played on renovated Sekondi Stadium pitch.",
    "Ghana-Ghana match scheduled for November 16, 2026."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Substandard pitch conditions at the renovated Sekondi Sports Stadium threaten the quality of play for international qualifiers despite the facility receiving temporary approval from the Confederation of African Football.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}