Ghana will host Somalia at the Essipong Sports Stadium in Sekondi for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on November 12th after receiving temporary approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku confirmed the venue on Wednesday during a meeting with Parliament’s Select Committee on Sports, ending uncertainty over where the Black Stars would play their upcoming home fixture.
“I can tell you on authority that the game will not be played at the Accra Sports Stadium. It will be played at the Essipong Stadium because we have had the green light from CAF,” Okraku said.
The match was initially expected to take place at the Accra Sports Stadium, but concerns over the facility’s readiness prompted the GFA to seek approval to move the fixture to Essipong.
CAF’s temporary approval follows renovation work at the Sekondi-based stadium, which recently returned to international football when the Black Queens defeated Mauritius 7-0 in an Olympic qualifier on October 13th.
Ghana will host Somalia in the first of two meetings between the sides, with the return fixture scheduled for November 16th. Both matches will be played in Ghana because Somalia do not have a CAF-approved stadium.
The Black Stars head into the double-header under pressure after losing their opening two Group C matches against Ivory Coast and Gambia, leaving them bottom of the standings without a point.
The two encounters against Somalia therefore present an important opportunity for Ghana to revive their qualification campaign and keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 AFCON in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania alive.