The Accra Sports Stadium is set to become a major hub for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, with Ghana, Niger and Somalia all expected to use the iconic venue for their qualifying matches.
The development follows a request from the Nigerien Football Federation to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to use the Accra Sports Stadium for its AFCON qualifier against Somalia.
Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, confirmed that the Nigerien Football Federation has formally written to the GFA regarding the use of the facility.
“The Nigerien Football Federation has written to the GFA, requesting to use the Accra Sports Stadium [for the AFCON Qualifier]. Both matches against Somalia will be played in Accra,” Yaw Ampofo Ankrah said.
The arrangement means both Niger and Somalia are expected to play their respective home and away encounters at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Somalia had earlier requested to use the Accra venue for its home fixtures against Ghana, resulting in Ghana playing both legs of its 2027 AFCON qualifying tie against Somalia at the same stadium.
Niger will now also use the facility for its matches against Somalia, further increasing the number of international fixtures scheduled to take place at the Accra Sports Stadium during the qualification campaign.
The situation has been made possible by the limited number of venues in Ghana currently approved to host top-level international football.
According to the NSA Director General, the Accra Sports Stadium remains the only approved ground in Ghana for CAF and FIFA Category A matches.
“The Accra Sports Stadium remains the only approved grounds in Ghana for CAF FIFA Category A games. There’s a lot of work to be done,” Ankrah stated.
His comments also highlight the need for continued maintenance and improvement works at the stadium to ensure it meets the required international standards.
The Accra Sports Stadium’s selection for multiple AFCON qualifiers places added responsibility on the National Sports Authority and other stakeholders to ensure the facility is ready to host the matches.
With Ghana, Niger and Somalia all set to utilise the venue, Accra could witness a busy schedule of international football during the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.
The development also underlines the importance of having more football stadiums in Ghana that can meet CAF and FIFA requirements for Category A international matches.
For now, however, the Accra Sports Stadium remains Ghana’s only approved venue for such fixtures, making it a key location for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers.
