Ghana has no venue ready for 2027 U-20 AFCON, says NSA boss Yaw Ampofo Ankrah

The Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, has admitted that Ghana currently does not have a stadium that meets the requirements to host the 2027 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.

Ghana was recently awarded the hosting rights for the tournament, which will return to the country for the second time since it first hosted the competition in 1999.

The 2027 edition is expected to form part of activities marking Ghana’s 70th independence anniversary.

Speaking about the country’s preparedness, Ampofo Ankrah acknowledged that significant improvements are required before Ghana can stage the tournament in line with the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) standards.

“As of today, we can’t play the U-20 AFCON in any of our venues, but we can prepare if we put things in place,” he said.

The NSA Director General identified funding as a major factor that could determine Ghana’s ability to upgrade its sporting infrastructure to the required standard.

“Obviously, it’s all about funding, and it’s about improving the structures that CAF would want to have in place,” he added.

Ampofo Ankrah said work was already underway to improve the country’s sports facilities, including playing surfaces, but stressed that the process would require adequate time and financial resources.

He explained that a detailed roadmap for the required upgrades would be developed once CAF gives Ghana the final approval to host the competition.

“At this moment, we’re in transition to trying to improve our venues, including the grass. So, we need time to prepare for that,” he said.

“Once the final green light comes from CAF, the roadmap would be put in place, and hopefully, we’ll be able to beat certain deadlines to host the tournament.”

Ghana’s ability to complete the necessary renovations within the required timeframe will therefore be crucial to ensuring the country is ready to welcome Africa’s best young footballers in 2027.