Raja Casablanca coach, Rusmir Cvirko, has voiced his frustration with the poor condition of the pitch at Accra Sports Stadium, following his team’s 2-2 draw against Ghana Premier League champions Samatex in the CAF Champions League second preliminary round on Sunday.
Speaking after the match, Cvirko commended his players’ efforts but criticized the field, claiming it negatively impacted their performance.
Head coach of Raja Casablanca, Rusmir Cviko, blasts the Accra Sports Stadium pitch.@FcSamartex1996 2-2 @RCAofficiel#MaxSports | Ghana Premier League | CAF Champions Leaguehttps://t.co/VLyTlIyg7I
— Max TV Ghana (@maxtvgh) September 15, 2024
“I am not happy. I am happy we didn’t lose the game, but normally, we must win this game,” he told Max TV. “But on this field, how we play, it’s impossible to play.”
The pitch quality has been a longstanding issue for teams playing at the stadium, and Cvirko emphasized that it interfered with his team’s usual style of play.
Despite the difficult circumstances, the Moroccan coach praised his players for their determination.
“How we played today, I say congratulations, because that’s a big win for my team, and because of that I am proud of these young boys,” he continued. “But how we played and where we played on this field is very difficult.”
Raja Casablanca will now host the second leg at home against Samartex 1996, where they aim to build on the 2-2 result from the away fixture.