The Ghanaian federation is pushing for the Black Queens’ CAN 2027 qualifier against Somalia to be played at Essipong rather than Accra, even though the official letter names the capital. No decision had been announced as of Wednesday morning.
The venue for the Ghana-Somalia match, a CAN 2027 qualifier, has not yet been fixed. According to 3News, the game could be moved from the Accra Sports Stadium to the Essipong Sports Stadium in Sekondi, more than a week before the date reported by Ghanaian media for the first leg.
The acting director-general of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Prof. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, confirmed that the official letter names Accra, while indicating that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) insists the game be played in Sekondi. A meeting was due to settle the matter before the end of Tuesday, but the GFA had announced nothing on its website by Wednesday morning.
A meeting meant to decide, but no announcement
“Officially, the letter we have states that the game will be played at the Accra Sports Stadium, but the Ghana Football Association (GFA) is pushing for the game to be played at the Essipong Sports Stadium,” said Prof. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, quoted by 3News.
By Wednesday morning, the GFA website carried no announcement on the matter. The venue therefore remains undecided, more than a week before the date of the first leg.
This is indeed the Black Queens, not the Black Stars. Kim Lars Björkegren, the Black Queens head coach, is assisted by Ibrahim Tanko, assistant coach and Medeama coach, and by Godwin Attram. Fatawu Dauda looks after the goalkeepers.
Both Group C matches in Ghana
Both Group C fixtures will be played in Ghana, as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has not certified any stadium in Somalia. The first leg and the second leg will therefore both take place on Ghanaian soil.
The dates reported by Ghanaian media are Thursday 12 November for the first leg and Monday 16 November for the second. They should be treated with caution.
Meanwhile, the committee tasked with finding a permanent Black Stars head coach is continuing its work, following the departure of former coach Carlos Queiroz, who left his post after the two defeats in September.
Backroom staff focused on Somalia
While awaiting the decision on the venue, the Black Queens staff are focusing on the upcoming matches. “We cannot afford to look too far ahead without first taking care of the immediate task. The Somalia matches are our priority,” said Ibrahim Tanko, quoted by 3News.
The decision on the stadium will determine whether the Black Queens play their first leg in Accra or in Sekondi. The GFA stresses that this arrangement applies only to the November matches.