The Deputy Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Gideon Hammond, says the Authority is committed to upgrading Ghana’s football pitches as the country prepares for its final four matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Ghana’s pitch conditions have long been a concern among fans, players, and stakeholders, with criticisms often directed at the state of national stadia.
But Hammond believes it’s time for that narrative to change under the current NSA leadership.
Because it’s likely the September qualifiers would again come to Accra, we are doing some works here to meet the standard so that we can have a full stadium occupied
📽️ Relive all the action from our emphatic 5-0 win over Chad! 🔥🇬🇭#BlackStars | #FIFAWCQ pic.twitter.com/wDM18t7Od7
— 🇬🇭 Black Stars (@GhanaBlackstars) March 22, 2025
You know, the previous match we decided to cut off a portion, but the fans did not even listen to us on that one ; they occupied the place.
He further stressed the importance of maintaining top pitch quality for optimal team performance, pointing to recent remarks made by Black Stars coach Otto Addo.
In preparing for the Chad game, one key thing that Coach Otto Addo mentioned was that we need to maintain the floodlights on.
We need to keep the pitch in good shape. And he was mentioning it because he realized that the quality of the pitch also contributes to the performance of the team.
With Accra likely to host more of Ghana’s remaining qualifiers, the NSA says it is working around the clock to meet the required standards and ensure the Black Stars have the best possible conditions to perform.
