Seth Panwum, Chairman of the National Sports Authority (NSA) Board, has labeled Ghana’s “stadium situation” as unfortunate, particularly following the closure of several stadiums due to poor facility conditions. His comments came during a Parliamentary Select Committee hearing on Sports, Culture, and Tourism.

This hearing follows a previous session where Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif discussed the controversial three million dollars spent by Ghana’s contingent at the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, despite the team failing to progress beyond the group stage.

Panwum addressed concerns regarding the Baba Yara Stadium, stating that the NSA officer responsible for renting out the facility for a church event prior to Ghana’s match against Angola is currently facing internal disciplinary action. The event resulted in significant damage to the pitch, leading to numerous complaints from both the Black Stars head coach Otto Addo and Angola’s head coach Pedro Goncalves, ultimately resulting in a ban from CAF.

He explained, “CAF has indicated that we need to undertake major work on the pitch, which we have acknowledged and are currently addressing. If they return to inspect the work we’ve done, they may grant us permission to use the stadium for future games. However, according to their regulations, we need to allow them some time before we can request a reassessment of the pitch. I must say that it’s unfortunate we got to this point.”

Panwum’s remarks highlight the ongoing challenges facing Ghanaian football infrastructure and the repercussions of mismanagement.