By Grace Zigah
The National Sports Authority (NSA) has raised serious concerns over the structural condition of the Accra Sports Stadium, with its Board Chairman, Prof. Fred Awaah, describing the iconic facility as a potential “death trap” and suggesting that demolition and reconstruction could be the safest long-term solution.
Prof. Awaah made the remarks following an inspection of the stadium on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, involving officials of the NSA, representatives of the Ghana Sports Fund and other government officials.
The inspection was intended to assess the state of the facility, but the findings appear to have heightened concerns about whether the stadium remains safe enough to host large crowds and major sporting competitions.
According to Prof. Awaah, the structural concerns are sufficiently serious to create the possibility of a major disaster if they are not urgently addressed.
He warned that the consequences could be severe, particularly when the stadium is filled with spectators.
“That’s just a death trap. You never know when the entire place will collapse, maybe with a big population, where we will have another disaster,” he told Citi Sports.
The NSA chairman further disclosed that, if the Authority had complete control over the matter, it would have opted to pull down the existing structure and begin construction of a new facility rather than continue relying on repeated interventions.
“Again, if we had our own way, we would have pulled down the infrastructure for a new one to be underway,” he added.
The latest concerns have revived questions about the effectiveness of previous rehabilitation projects undertaken at the stadium.
The Accra Sports Stadium underwent major renovation and modernisation in 2007 as part of the preparations to host the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
The facility was subsequently renovated again in 2018 ahead of Ghana’s hosting of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Despite those interventions, the latest assessment suggests that significant structural challenges remain.
The Accra Sports Stadium remains one of the most important sporting facilities and has historically hosted major domestic and international football matches as well as other sporting activities.
