Ibrahim Saanie Daara, the former Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has criticized the poor condition of playing surfaces in the country, comparing them to "weeds."
The Baba Yara Stadium, Ghana’s only venue currently approved for international matches, has been banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) due to its "unsuitable playing field."
As a result, Ghana's national team, the Black Stars, will be unable to host the remaining 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches at home. The team will now have to play their home games at neutral venues abroad.
Speaking to Joy News, Sannie Daara expressed frustration over the quality of pitches in Ghana, stating, "I am sorry to say that we've relied on local companies to deliver on what we call pitches but to be honest, a lot of what I have seen having officiated matches in Ghana compared to others, I would say what we have in Ghana are just weeds instead of pitches.
"I find it baffling that in a country where we have most of the top-class international inspectors, I don't know why we cannot count on the expertise of these people to give us the right advice."
He also questioned why Ghana, despite having access to top-class international inspectors, has failed to utilize their expertise in maintaining proper stadium standards.
"CAF is now being stringent on countries that don't have stadiums suitable to host international matches. Those days when any wishy-washy pitch could pass is long gone. There are more than 15 countries now playing away from their home," Sannie Daara, who now works as a CAF Media Officer added.
In response to CAF’s decision, Ghana’s Ministry of Youth and Sports has directed the National Sports Authority (NSA) to address the issues with the Baba Yara Stadium pitch. Both the Accra and Cape Coast stadia have also been closed for renovations.
Ghana's Black Stars are scheduled to face Sudan, coached by Kwesi Appiah, in a crucial doubleheader next month for the AFCON qualifiers.
Currently sitting third in Group F, the Black Stars will host Sudan at a yet-to-be-confirmed venue before travelling to Al-Merrikh Stadium for the return leg.