By OkayGoal 
National Sports Authority (NSA) Director General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah says the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi will be ready to host matches when the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season begins.
The new league campaign is scheduled to kick off from September 4 to 7, 2026, with the NSA working to restore the facility to full functionality ahead of the new season.
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah made the assurance after touring the stadium alongside NSA Board Chairman Dr Fred Awaah and the Authoritys Estates Manager, Mr Ebo.
During the inspection, the NSA Director General assessed the progress of rehabilitation works on the pitch and also inspected the condition of the scoreboard and floodlights.
He commended the Ashanti Regional Directorate of the NSA for its efforts to restore the stadium and expressed confidence that the pitch would be ready within the coming weeks.
The pitch is responding to treatment and the rehabilitation is on course. I believe in a few weeks it should be in good stead, strong enough, robust to host football matches, including the Ghana Premier League and any other international match if the need arises, he said.
The stadium recently came under criticism after a video showing ground staff using hoes to remove weeds from the pitch went viral on social media.
Yaw Ampofo, however, defended the approach adopted by the Ashanti Regional Directorate, explaining that the facility currently lacks some of the modern equipment required for pitch maintenance.
We dont have the tools that are common; we will acquire them soon, but I commend them [Ashanti Regional Directorate] for tackling the weeds from their source, he said.
He added that the local managers had previously resorted to alternative methods to maintain the pitch when the stadiums irrigation system was not functioning properly.
In the past when the sprinklers were not working, they resorted to the Fire Service and other means to ensure the grass doesnt die. Perhaps people didnt understand the images, but now they do, he added.
The readiness of Baba Yara Stadium will also be closely watched as Ghana prepares to begin its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign in September.
There has been speculation that the Black Stars could return to the Kumasi venue for their home qualifiers, but the NSA Director General said the final decision would rest with the Ministry of Sports and the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
According to him, the decision will be taken after consultations with the engineers responsible for assessing the stadiums readiness.
While significant progress has been made on the facility, more than 3,000 seats are still awaiting replacement following damage caused during violence at school sports competitions in January.
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah disclosed that the Ghana Education Service (GES) has agreed to finance the restoration of the damaged seats.
The NSA boss said the Authority remains committed to ensuring that Baba Yara Stadium is restored to a standard capable of hosting domestic and international football matches.
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