Kumasi's Baba Yara Stadium to host Ghana-Nigeria World Cup qualifier
- Published
Ghana, who suffered a group-stage exit at the Africa Cup of Nations this year, missed out on the 2018 World Cup in Russia
The Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi will host Ghana's home leg of the 2022 World Cup play-off tie against Nigeria despite several issues with the ground.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has given approval for the 40,000-capacity venue to be used for the match, but has listed
The Ghana Football Association will be fined should Caf's requirements not be fulfilled.
The Cape Coast Stadium was initially designated to host the meeting with the Super Eagles on Friday, 25 March, but the playing surface was damaged after the stadium was used for the country's Independence Day celebrations on 6 March.
In a letter to the Ghana FA, Caf development officer Raul Chipenda said the Baba Yara Stadium will be removed from its list of approved stadiums following the match - and will only be reinstated once remedial works have been completed.
Caf has issued a series of demands including improving the floodlight intensity, dressing room capacity and media facilities, and a stadium inspector will carry out another assessment before the match.
The second leg of the tie will take place in Abuja on Tuesday, 29 March, with the winners qualifying for the World Cup finals in Qatar.
Ghana appointed former Newcastle boss Chris Hughton as technical advisor and Otto Addo as head coach last month following the dismissal of Milovan Rajevac after a group-stage exit at this year's Africa Cup of Nations.
The Black Stars are yet to publicly announce their squad for the tie against West African rivals Nigeria.
The Super Eagles are bidding to reach a fourth consecutive World Cup, while Ghana are looking to return to the tournament after failing to qualify for the 2018 edition in Russia.