Baba Yara Stadium was approved by FIFA for the World Cup playoff after Cape Coast Stadium was certified unfit by CAF
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has given a pass mark to the new venue for the first leg of the World Cup playoff between Nigeria and Ghana.
The Super Eagles are expected to travel to Ghana on Wednesday, March 23 for the first leg of the double-header encounter billed for Friday, March 25, and return to the country to play the reverse fixture four days later in Abuja.
According to PUNCH, an inspection team led by NFF Executive Committee member, Aisha Falode, has certified the 40,653 capacity Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi fit for the encounter.
The Ghanaians were originally expected to host the match at the Cape Coast Stadium but due to the poor state of the pitch, the game was relocated to Baba Yara Stadium.
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The Cape Coast pitch was damaged during the county’s Independence Day Celebrations on March 6, leading to major renovation works by the managers of the facility.
CAF/FIFA who had initially rejected an earlier request by Ghana Football Association (GFA) to move the match venue acceded after CAF inspectors visited the Cape Coast Sports Stadium on March 14 and deemed it unusable.
Falode, who was conducted round the Baba Yara Stadium by Emmanuel Appiah, Director of Ghana’s National Sports Authority, said the pitch was in a good state ahead of the encounter.
“That stadium (Baba Yara) is fantastic, the grass is beautiful, it is all natural and level. We are going to enjoy playing there on Friday.
“It was closed for maintenance work and it’s nice it’s hosting a game of this magnitude after several years.” Falode said.
The winner of the two-legged qualifier is expected to join four other African teams as representatives of the continent at the 2022 Qatar World later in the year.
