The Director-General of the National Sports Authority, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah has disclosed that the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium has the best turf among the major national stadia in Ghana.
Despite expressing dismay over the poor state of the stadium, Mr. Yaw Ampofo Ankrah singled out the turf as the best in the nation.
He made this revelation during an interview with King Edward Akuffo on Atinka Tv.
“It’s been over 8 weeks, getting to couple of months since my appointment, and we have existing structures and projects all over the place. I have been to Tamale and unfortunately, what I saw wasn’t the best. It wasn’t encouraging but there were positives. For example, I have been to Essipon, Kumasi and other places but naturally the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium grass (turf) is probably the best so far among the pitches I have visited. Surprisingly, probably the best.
“Although it was a raw grass and they hadn’t shaped or prepared it for matches when I went there but it was very surprise when you check the texture and the colour,” he said.
The Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium, which requires major renovation every ten years, has suffered from a lack of maintenance, resulting in a deplorable state. The VVIP section’s roof, toilet facilities, and popular stands are all in need of repair.
Consequently, the Confederation of African Football and the Federation of International Football Association have consistently rejected hosting international matches at the facility.
Currently, it serves as the home venue of Ghana Premier League side, Karela United.