Ghana will host Somalia on Thursday 12 November at Essipong, according to Kickoff Ghana. CAF has granted only temporary approval to the Sekondi venue, which is still under construction, while the Black Stars are on a run of two defeats.
The venue is now settled. According to Kickoff Ghana, Ghana will face Somalia on Thursday 12 November at the Essipong Sports Stadium in Sekondi, for matchdays 3 and 4 of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. Kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 GMT. The decision, reported by the Ghanaian outlet, rests on temporary approval from CAF rather than full certification.
Kurt Okraku, president of the Ghana Football Association, confirmed the outcome before the parliamentary sports committee, meeting on Wednesday 4 November, again according to Kickoff Ghana. The Sekondi venue, recently reopened, has not yet met all the criteria of the continental body. It will nonetheless host an international match, in a context where the Black Stars are on a run of two defeats in Group C.
Certification still incomplete
CAF has not given Essipong a definitive green light. According to Kickoff Ghana, several facilities remain below its requirements, despite recent work on the roof, seating, toilets, VIP stand and scoreboard.
The dressing rooms must still be enlarged to provide 24 lockers per team and fitted with water heaters. The pitch requires functional drainage and irrigation. CCTV, an automated counting system and improvements in crowd management and evacuation are also missing.
Two defeats to make up for
Ghana lost their first two Group C matches, against Ivory Coast and Chad. Hosting Somalia on Thursday therefore comes in a tense sporting situation. The Black Stars will not have to travel: Somalia have no certified stadium, so both matches are being played in Ghana.
The return match is scheduled for Monday 16 November at 15:00 GMT, according to Kickoff Ghana. On the Somali side, the lack of a certified stadium explains this relocated “home” fixture.
Essipong, a venue under scrutiny
The Sekondi stadium has hosted only one competitive match since reopening, Kickoff Ghana recalls: the Black Queens’ 7-0 win over Mauritius on 13 October. The meeting with Somalia will therefore be the second of its kind at the venue.
Kurt Okraku’s confirmation before the parliamentary sports committee on Wednesday 4 November comes eight days before kick-off. The return match on Monday 16 November does not yet have a confirmed venue.