The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo and Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth and Sports, Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has made a passionate appeal to the government for the immediate rehabilitation of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
His call comes as Kumasi-based Asante Kotoko SC gears up for its CAF Confederation Cup campaign. The Baba Yara Stadium, the club’s historic home ground, remains in a deteriorated condition — a situation Assafuah describes as both a national embarrassment and a major setback to Ghanaian football.
In a strongly worded statement posted on his official Facebook page, the MP lamented the current state of the facility, emphasizing its symbolic importance.
“Today, I say with a heavy heart but unwavering resolve to address the dire state of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium,” he wrote. “Kotoko, a symbol of Ghanaian football excellence and our proud representative on this continental stage, deserves a venue that reflects our nation’s ambition.”
The stadium was banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in September 2024 during the tenure of the previous NPP administration. Though an initial assessment and renovation plans were proposed following the ban, progress has stalled. Nearly a year later, the stadium still falls below international standards.
Assafuah cited recent remarks by the Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, who admitted on August 4, 2025, that the stadium continues to fail to meet CAF’s requirements. The MP criticized this as a “missed opportunity” under the current NDC government, warning that failure to act now could tarnish Ghana’s reputation on the continental stage.
He urged the government to treat the renovation of Baba Yara with the urgency it deserves, stating that restoring the stadium’s glory is not only vital for Asante Kotoko but also for preserving national pride.
