Dear Hon. Kofi Adams,
I write this open letter not as a criticism of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the National Sports Authority, or the managers of Ghana’s major stadia, but as a constructive appeal for a permanent solution to a recurring challenge in Ghanaian football.
Hon. Minister, Ghana must move beyond treating the pitches at the Accra Sports Stadium and the Baba Yara Sports Stadium as emergency projects whenever the Black Stars are scheduled to play.
It is time to think beyond the next Black Stars fixture.
It is time to think beyond the next CAF inspection.
It is time to think beyond short-term pitch rehabilitation.
It is time to develop infrastructure that serves Ghana consistently and sustainably.
My respectful appeal to you is therefore straightforward:
Facilitate the installation of world-class hybrid pitches at both the Accra Sports Stadium and the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
In my view, this initiative could become one of the defining infrastructure achievements of your tenure as Minister for Sports and Recreation.
THE CYCLE MUST END
For years, Ghanaian football has been caught in a frustrating cycle.
The Black Stars are scheduled to play a competitive international match.
The stadium pitch is inspected.
Concerns are raised about its condition.
Domestic football activities are restricted or suspended.
The pitch is closed for several weeks.
Resources are mobilized to restore it.
The national team plays its match.
After the international assignment, domestic football eventually returns to the same surface, and the cycle begins again.
This is not sustainable.
The recent situation surrounding the Accra Sports Stadium has once again highlighted the problem. The National Sports Authority has clarified that, on some occasions, the issue has concerned the availability of the pitch rather than the complete closure of the stadium.
However, whether the situation is described as stadium closure or pitch unavailability, the practical consequence for football stakeholders is essentially the same:
Ghana’s premier football venues cannot consistently serve the national team, domestic clubs, and other users simultaneously.
The Baba Yara Sports Stadium has faced similar challenges over the years. The Ghana Football Association has previously announced decisions to make the Baba Yara pitch unavailable for domestic competitions ahead of Black Stars Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
More recently, concerns about the condition and readiness of the Baba Yara pitch have again featured prominently in discussions about the facility.
This is precisely why the case for hybrid pitches deserves serious consideration.
HON. MINISTER, WE NEED TO CHANGE THE MODEL
Ghana cannot continue spending money repeatedly to restore the same natural-grass surfaces whenever an important international match approaches.
That approach is reactive.
What Ghana needs is long-term planning and strategic infrastructure investment.
A modern hybrid pitch combines natural grass with synthetic reinforcement, producing a surface that retains the playing characteristics of natural grass while offering greater stability and durability.
FIFA’s stadium guidelines recognize that hybrid pitches are becoming increasingly common at the elite level and can be particularly beneficial where surfaces are expected to accommodate intensive use.
That is precisely the situation at the Accra Sports Stadium and Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
These are not quiet community grounds used once or twice a month.
They are national assets.
They host:
- Black Stars matches;
- Ghana Premier League matches;
- CAF inter-club competitions;
- International fixtures;
- National sporting events;
- Concerts and other major events;
- Training and football development activities.
Such facilities require pitches designed for high-intensity and high-frequency use.
WHAT WOULD IT COST?
Naturally, the first question will be:
How much would this cost the Ghanaian taxpayer?
There is no single universal price. The cost would depend on the hybrid technology selected, drainage and irrigation requirements, existing sub-base conditions, pitch dimensions, installation method, climate considerations, and other infrastructure needs.
However, international industry estimates provide a useful indication.
Specialist pitch construction companies currently estimate that a full-size hybrid football pitch may cost broadly between £500,000 and £1.5 million, depending on the specifications and associated works.
This means that a high-end installation could potentially cost approximately US$675,000 to US$2 million or more per pitch, depending on the exchange rate and the scope of the project.
For two stadiums, Ghana could therefore be considering a broad international benchmark of approximately:
£1 million–£3 million for the two pitches
This would be before Ghana-specific taxes, logistics, civil works, drainage upgrades, irrigation systems, maintenance equipment, and other project requirements.
That is a significant investment.
However, Hon. Minister, the question should not simply be: “How much will hybrid pitches cost?”
The more important question is;
“How much is Ghana losing by repeatedly addressing the same problem?”
THE HIDDEN COST OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM
The cost of maintaining a poor or vulnerable pitch extends beyond expenditure on grass.
Whenever a major stadium is taken out of circulation, there are wider consequences.
Domestic clubs may be forced to seek alternative venues.
Matches may have to be rescheduled.
Revenue opportunities are lost.
Supporters are inconvenienced.
Television schedules are disrupted.
The Ghana Premier League faces additional logistical challenges.
Clubs incur extra transportation and operational expenses.
Perhaps most importantly, Ghana’s reputation as a footballing nation suffers further damage.
The stakes are even higher when CAF or FIFA standards are involved.
Recent commentary on Ghana’s stadium situation has warned that the country risks losing the ability to host Black Stars matches if major pitches fail to satisfy CAF’s technical requirements.
Imagine the financial and reputational consequences of Ghana being forced to play an important home international match outside the country simply because it cannot maintain an acceptable playing surface.
That would be unacceptable for a football nation of Ghana’s stature.
WHY HYBRID GRASS MAKES SENSE
Hybrid technology is not merely about making a pitch look attractive.
It is about making the surface stronger, more stable, and more resilient.
Leading systems such as Grass Master reinforce natural grass with millions of artificial fires, allowing the natural grass roots to intertwine with the synthetic reinforcement. GrassMaster Solutions states that its system has been installed on more than 800 pitches worldwide.
The technology has also been used at some of the world’s most prestigious football venues.
The GrassMaster system, for example, has been used at Wembley and in elite-level football environments around the world.
Another leading system, SISGrass Hybrid, produces a surface that is predominantly natural grass while using reinforcement to improve durability. SIS Pitches states that its system can be installed in as little as three days and is designed to accommodate considerably more playing hours than a conventional natural-grass pitch.
That is precisely what Ghana needs:
More playing hours.
Greater resilience.
Improved consistency.
Reduced vulnerability to heavy usage.
Most importantly, Ghana needs pitches capable of serving the national team without automatically disrupting domestic football.
BUT LET US BE CLEAR: HYBRID IS NOT MAGIC
A responsible proposal must acknowledge that installing hybrid grass does not mean a pitch will never require maintenance or occasional closure.
Different hybrid systems have different maintenance requirements.
Some stitched hybrid systems may still require planned maintenance periods, while carpet-based hybrid systems may offer advantages for busy stadiums because they do not necessarily require the same type of extended annual shutdown associated with some stitched systems.
Therefore, Ghana should not simply purchase the least expensive hybrid technology available.
We must select the right technology for Ghana.
The Ministry should commission an independent technical feasibility study involving:
- FIFA- and CAF-standard pitch consultants;
- experienced international hybrid-pitch contractors;
- Ghanaian agronomists;
- Stadium engineers;
- Irrigation specialists;
- Drainage experts;
- The National Sports Authority;
- The Ghana Football Association;
- Representatives of domestic clubs.
The objective should be to determine which hybrid system is best suited to Ghana’s climate, usage patterns, soil conditions, drainage requirements, and stadium calendars.
ACCRA AND BABA YARA SHOULD BE THE PILOT PROJECTS
Hon. Minister, if Ghana wants to make a serious statement about sports infrastructure, these two stadiums are the obvious starting points.
Accra Sports Stadium
The Accra Sports Stadium is one of the country’s most important sporting landmarks.
It should be capable of hosting the Black Stars without requiring the entire football ecosystem to reorganise itself whenever the national team plays in the capital.
Baba Yara Sports Stadium
The Baba Yara Sports Stadium is equally important.
As Ghana’s premier football venue in Kumasi, it serves a football-passionate region and has historically been one of the homes of the Black Stars.
The government has previously announced plans to repair and upgrade Baba Yara. The installation of a modern hybrid pitch should therefore form part of that broader modernisation agenda rather than being treated as another emergency intervention.
THIS COULD BE YOUR LEGACY, MINISTER
Hon. Kofi Adams, ministers come and go.
Governments change.
Political administrations change.
Infrastructure, however, remains.
This is why the hybrid-pitch project could become much more than another sports expenditure.
It could become your signature sports infrastructure initiative.
Imagine a situation ten or fifteen years from now in which Ghanaian football stakeholders can say:
“The Accra Sports Stadium and Baba Yara Sports Stadium have world-class hybrid pitches because the Kofi Adams administration took the decision to solve the problem permanently.”
That is a legacy.
Not another temporary patch.
Not another emergency grass replacement.
Not another frantic exercise two weeks before a Black Stars qualifier.
A permanent solution.
LET US MAKE THE BLACK STARS THE BENEFICIARY, NOT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM
There is something fundamentally wrong when the arrival of the Black Stars at a national stadium becomes the reason the stadium must be taken out of normal use.
The national team should be the principal beneficiary of Ghana’s sporting infrastructure.
It should not be the trigger for emergency pitch rehabilitation.
A modern hybrid surface could allow Ghana to plan stadium usage around a more predictable maintenance regime.
The national team can play.
Premier League clubs can play.
CAF competitions can be accommodated.
The stadium can generate revenue.
The Ghanaian taxpayer can receive better value from the facility.
That is what modern sports infrastructure should achieve.
FINANCING SHOULD NOT BE AN EXCUSE
If the estimated international benchmark for two high-standard hybrid pitches could reach between £1 million and £3 million before Ghana specific project costs, then the investment would certainly be substantial.
However, the Ministry should explore several financing options rather than automatically placing the entire burden on the national budget.
Potential partners could include:
- FIFA and CAF infrastructure programmes
Explore all available football infrastructure and development programmes for which Ghana qualifies.
- Corporate sponsorship
A major Ghanaian company could potentially acquire naming or sponsorship rights associated with the pitches.
- Public-private partnerships
The government could structure the project around the long-term commercial use of the facilities.
- GFA partnership
The Ghana Football Association has a direct interest in ensuring that the Black Stars have reliable home venues.
- Stadium-generated revenue
A portion of revenue generated from major matches, commercial activities, and events could be ring-fenced for pitch maintenance.
- International technical partnerships
Rather than merely purchasing grass, Ghana should negotiate a comprehensive package covering installation, training, maintenance, and after-sales technical support.
WE ALSO NEED A MAINTENANCE FUND
This is critical.
Ghana has too often demonstrated that it can build or renovate facilities but struggles to maintain them effectively.
Therefore, any hybrid-pitch project must include a 10-year maintenance and asset-management plan.
The contract should not end once the pitch is installed.
It should cover:
- Agronomic management;
- Irrigation;
- Fertilization;
- Mowing;
- Aeration;
- Drainage maintenance;
- Fibre monitoring;
- Turf replacement where necessary;
- Specialist machinery;
- Groundskeeper training;
- Periodic independent pitch testing.
The Ministry should also train Ghanaian groundskeepers alongside international contractors to ensure that technical knowledge is transferred locally.
THE BIGGER VISION
Hon. Minister, I am not asking you merely to install two pitches.
I am asking you to help Ghana change its approach to sports infrastructure.
We must move from: “How do we get this pitch ready for the next Black Stars game?”
To “How do we build a pitch that is ready for Ghana every day?”
That is the difference between crisis management and infrastructure planning.
Ghana is a football nation.
We have produced world-class players.
We have won the Africa Cup of Nations.
We have qualified for the FIFA World Cup on several occasions.
We have legendary clubs.
We have passionate supporters.
We have enormous football talent.
What we increasingly need is infrastructure that matches our football ambitions.
A CALL TO ACTION
Hon. Kofi Adams, I therefore respectfully call on you to champion the following:
- Commission an immediate technical feasibility study
Assess the pitches, drainage, irrigation systems, and sub-base conditions at the Accra Sports Stadium and Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
- Invite leading hybrid-pitch specialists
Allow companies such as GrassMaster/Tarkett, SIS Pitches, and other reputable FIFA- and CAF-standard contractors to submit technical and financial proposals.
- Develop a transparent cost-benefit analysis
Compare the cost of hybrid installation with the recurring costs of pitch rehabilitation, closures, lost stadium revenue, and the potential loss of international fixtures.
- Select the technology based on Ghana’s needs
Do not necessarily choose the least expensive system. Choose the system that delivers the best lifecycle value.
- Establish a dedicated maintenance fund
Protect the investment long after installation.
- Train Ghanaian groundskeepers
Build local technical capacity rather than creating permanent dependence on foreign contractors.
- Make the two stadiums genuine multipurpose national sporting assets
The objective should be for the facilities to host football consistently while remaining capable of accommodating other major events.
CONCLUSION: MINISTER, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY
Hon. Minister Kofi Adams, history will not remember every meeting held in a ministry conference room.
It may not remember every speech delivered at a sports event.
But it will remember the infrastructure that was built and the problems that were permanently solved.
The recurring pitch crisis at Ghana’s major stadiums is one such problem.
Whenever the Black Stars are scheduled to play, Ghana should not have to enter another emergency pitch-rehabilitation exercise.
We should not have to choose between the national team and domestic football.
We should not have to close important stadium facilities simply because the playing surface cannot withstand regular use.
And we certainly should not risk playing international football outside Ghana because our pitches cannot meet the required standards.
We can do better.
The Accra Sports Stadium and Baba Yara Sports Stadium deserve pitches befitting their status.
The Black Stars deserve pitches befitting a national team.
Ghanaian clubs deserve pitches capable of withstanding modern football demands.
Ghanaian taxpayers deserve infrastructure that provides value beyond a single international match.
And you, Hon. Minister, have an opportunity to lead that transformation.
Give Ghana two world-class hybrid pitches.
Give the Black Stars a dependable home.
Give domestic football greater certainty.
Give our stadiums longer playing lives.
And, most importantly, give Ghana a sports infrastructure legacy that will remain long after your tenure in office.
The time has come to stop repairing the same problem.
Let us solve it.
Yours faithfully,
Benjamin Daniel Akoi Yamoah (BENGARZI)
Sports Broadcaster | Sports Journalist |
