“We must hold some people accountable over the current state of Essipong Stadium” – NSA boss Yaw Ampofo Ankrah

Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, Director-General of the National Sports Authority has expressed dissatisfaction over the poor state of Essipon Stadium.

The Essipong Stadium, one of the four venues built to host the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana in currently in deplorable state.

The venue, which is situated in the Western Region is in ruins after 16 years since it was constructed for the tournament.

There 20,000 seater capacity stadium has not seen major renovation works after the tournament.

The Essipong Stadium hosted the Group B games involving Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Mali and Benin and also the quarter-final game between Ivory Coast and Guinea.

The facility has been left to deteriorate and below is drone view of the current state of the stadium.

Speaking to Atinka Tv, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah said, “I was sad when I went to Essipong. I knew that it was bad but I was very sad. I had to take time to really take in the seats, abandoned grasses, nothing to write home about. Rooms, washrooms, dressing rooms… It’s very sad and I’d hope you will go there to confirm it. That’s what we’ve come to meet and I think this is not a blame game, but we need to ask questions from those who were assigned and given the responsibility to do the job. We will gold some people accountable.

“Secondly, there are a lot of money in that direction so we have to ask this relevant question. We have to ask questions because they told us that the seats, flood lights, pitch, entry gate, scoreboard and the PA system. If I am the one in charge you’d ask me whether I was given money to do it or not and I’d have to answer,” he stated.