Baba Yara Stadium to be ready for 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season – NSA boss

National Sports Authority (NSA) Director General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah says the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi will be ready to host matches when the 2026/27 Ghana football season begins in September.

The 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season is scheduled to kick off between September 4 and 7, with the historic stadium undergoing rehabilitation works to restore it to full functionality.

Mr Ampofo Ankrah made the assurance after inspecting the facility alongside NSA Board Chairman Dr Fred Awaah and the NSA’s Estate Manager, Mr Ebo.

During the tour, the NSA Director General assessed the progress of work on the playing surface and inspected key facilities, including the scoreboard and floodlights.

He commended the Ashanti Regional Directorate of the NSA for its efforts to restore the stadium, particularly the work being done to improve the condition of the pitch.

“The pitch is responding to treatment and the rehabilitation is on course. I believe in a few weeks it should be in good stead, strong enough, robust to host football matches, including the Ghana Premier League and any other international match if the need arises,” he said.

The NSA has faced criticism in recent weeks after images and video footage emerged showing ground staff using hoes to remove weeds from the stadium pitch, with questions raised about the availability of modern turf-maintenance equipment.

However, Mr Ampofo Ankrah defended the approach adopted by the Ashanti Regional Directorate, explaining that the immediate priority was to tackle the weeds and stabilise the pitch while the necessary equipment is being procured.

“We don’t have the tools that are common; we will acquire them soon, but I commend them [Ashanti Regional Directorate] for tackling the weeds from their source,” he said.

He also pointed to previous efforts by the regional office to keep the pitch alive when the stadium’s sprinklers were not functioning.

“In the past when the sprinklers were not working, they resorted to the Fire Service and other means to ensure the grass doesn’t die. Perhaps people didn’t understand the images, but now they do,” he added.

The condition of the Baba Yara Stadium has also attracted attention ahead of Ghana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which are scheduled to begin in September.

There has been speculation that the Black Stars could return to the Kumasi venue for their home fixtures, but Mr Ampofo Ankrah said the decision would ultimately rest with the Ministry of Sports and the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

He explained that the relevant authorities would have to consult the engineers overseeing the rehabilitation works before determining whether the facility is suitable to host international matches.

While progress has been made on the pitch and other areas of the stadium, more than 3,000 seats still require repairs following damage caused during violent incidents at school sports competitions in January.

Mr Ampofo Ankrah said the Ghana Education Service (GES) had agreed to finance the restoration of the damaged seats.

The NSA is therefore hopeful that the ongoing rehabilitation works will put Baba Yara Stadium in a position to resume hosting major domestic and international football matches in the coming weeks.