The Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, has described the current state of the Accra Sports Stadium as a far cry from what he was briefed on upon assuming office.
In an exclusive interview with Citi Sports, Mr. Ampofo Ankrah did not mince words, labeling the condition of the stadium as close to a “crime scene” following a personal inspection ahead of Ghana’s World Cup qualifier against Chad.
What we were told previously is not what we met,” he said.
“If I’m being honest, I think I need to use the word crime scene because what was painted to us does not reflect the reality.
I was shocked after doing a few rounds of inspection.
We’ve not completed them yet, but from what we’ve seen so far, we had to act quickly before the Chad game.
Otherwise, we could have had a major problem on our hands. he explained
The NSA boss further hinted at possible financial mismanagement, questioning how funds allocated for maintenance and renovations were used.
We need to ask ourselves what happened to the money that was allocated for changes and renovations.
It seems little to nothing was done.
Once we go through the books and look at the figures, we’ll get a clearer picture-what was made available, how much was spent, what was actually done, and why the stadium deteriorated so quickly if indeed those works were carried out
Mr. Ampofo Ankrah acknowledged that the problems are deep-rooted and systemic but assured the public that he and his team are working on long-term solutions to improve the stadium’s condition and infrastructure.
There are challenges, and I won’t run away from that. We’ve had issues like power cuts, water shortages, drainage problems, and pitch maintenance.
These are not things that can be fixed overnight, but that’s why we’re emphasizing planning, preparation, and prevention.
We need to move away from perennial threats and build a more sustainable framework for managing these facilities,” he said.
