“Accra Sports Stadium has engineering problems, but we cannot demolish it” – Ag. NSA Boss Prof. Sarpong

Acting Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Prof. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, has described the challenges facing the Accra Sports Stadium as engineering problems, insisting that defects at the facility are being assessed and addressed.

His comments come amid growing concerns about the condition of the stadium, following former NSA Board Chairman Prof. Fred Awaah’s description of the facility as a ‘death trap’ on August 29. Prof. Awaah had suggested that the stadium would have been demolished if the Authority had its way.

However, speaking to Citi Sports, Prof. Osei Sarpong says the NSA is working to identify and fix the stadium’s defects while considering whether a complete renovation or the construction of a new facility would offer a lasting solution.

“For me, Accra Sports Stadium is a very good place. We have an engineering problem and so that is one of the things we are looking at, but we cannot fix everything at a go. We will explore the options to determine whether renovation or building a new stadium would be the best solution,” he said.

He explained that the Authority is prioritising areas requiring urgent attention to support sporting activities while assessing the long-term future of the facility.

Prof. Osei Sarpong said the Authority was considering whether a complete renovation or a new stadium would be the best option, but stressed that the existing facility could not be taken out of service immediately.

“In the interim, we cannot break Accra Sports Stadium down. So we need to look at the gaps one after the other, solve them gradually until we are sure the majority of the gaps are,” he added.

The acting director general also pointed to inadequate water storage capacity and deteriorating pipes as some of the challenges facing the stadium, which was built several decades ago.

“I expected a big stadium like this to have an underground tank, but it was built several years ago. The pipes keep wearing out because of its proximity to the sea.”

Prof. Osei Sarpong noted that the stadium remains important to Ghanaian football, particularly because it is currently the only field accredited by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), despite the defects that need attention.

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