The Cape Coast Stadium has been banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) due to its unsuitability for hosting international matches.
Consequently, Medeama, last year’s Ghana Premier League champions, have been compelled to relocate their CAF Champions League group matches to the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as an alternative venue. This closure will also have an impact on Ghana’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Madagascar, as the Black Stars will now remain in Kumasi, their preferred home ground.
The order for closure was communicated to the Ghana Football Association in a report by CAF’s Technical Development Director, Raul Chipenda, following an inspection of the facility. The report highlighted numerous deficiencies and shortcomings, recommending essential renovations and upgrades to ensure compliance with CAF requirements.
The CAF report raised concerns regarding the functionality, design, comfort, and quality of equipment at the stadium. It concluded that significant improvements and renovations were necessary to meet the modern standards and requirements of a 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 refurbishment.
The report stated, “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.” Mr. Chipenda emphasized that the facility would only be approved if all the recommendations were strictly adhered to after re-inspection.
Following the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff against Nigeria last year, Kumasi has emerged as the preferred home ground for competitive matches involving the Black Stars, replacing Cape Coast.
Medeama previously hosted Remo Stars of Nigeria and Horoya AC of Guinea at the Cape Coast Stadium during the preliminary rounds of the Champions League. However, due to a new CAF directive, the ‘Mauve and Yellow’ will now host Group D rivals, CR Belouizad, in Kumasi on December 1, followed by Young Africans on December 8, and Al Ahly on February 23 of next year.
