Sports Ministry counters claims of mismanagement over Baba Yara pitch after CAF ban

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has responded to North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwas accusations that public funds were mismanaged in renovating national stadiums, specifically after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) withdrew its approval of the Baba Yara Stadium pitch.CAF’s decision has left Ghana searching for a venue outside the country to host the next Black Stars match, but the Ministry dismissed the claims, stressing that the poor state of the pitch should not undermine the broader scope of work completed at the stadium.According to the Ministry, extensive renovation work has been done at the Baba Yara, Accra, and Essipong stadia since 2018, and it is “disingenuous” to question these efforts based solely on the condition of one stadiums pitch.”It is unfair for the Hon. MP to create the impression that no work has been done at these facilities,” the Ministry stated.The Ministry further explained that despite the recent state of the Baba Yara pitch, both the Accra and Kumasi stadia have hosted high-profile matches, including World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Womens Cup of Nations.The Ministry also pointed out that no significant renovations were carried out between 2009 and 2017 before their administration took over.The response concluded by providing a comprehensive breakdown of the renovation works, which included upgrades to the seating, lighting, and structural safety of the stadiums, all of which had been labelled unsafe in previous inspections.