Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has confirmed that the Essipong Stadium has received provisional approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to host the Black Stars' 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Somalia.
Okraku made the announcement during a meeting between the GFA Executive Council and Parliament's Select Committee on Sports, revealing that the Sekondi-based venue has been cleared to stage the first leg of Ghana's crucial double-header against Somalia.
The Black Stars will host the East African nation at the renovated Essipong Stadium on November 12, before travelling for the return fixture four days later.
The approval follows recent renovation works carried out at the stadium to upgrade its infrastructure and ensure it meets CAF's requirements for hosting international matches.
Essipong has already returned to the continental stage in recent weeks after CAF approved the venue for the Black Queens' Olympic Games qualifier against Mauritius, a successful inspection that paved the way for another senior national team fixture.
While Ghana will enjoy home advantage in the first meeting, Somalia have also received CAF approval to stage the reverse fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium, as the country currently does not have a stadium certified to host international matches.
The upcoming fixtures carry enormous significance for the Black Stars, who are desperate to revive their AFCON qualification campaign after a disappointing start to Group C.
Ghana suffered a 2-0 defeat to Côte d'Ivoire in Bouaké before falling 4-2 to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium, leaving the four-time African champions rooted to the bottom of the standings without a point after two matches.
Those setbacks ultimately led to the departure of head coach Carlos Queiroz, with an interim technical team now tasked with steering the Black Stars back into contention for a place at the 2027 AFCON tournament.
With qualification hopes hanging in the balance, Ghana will be targeting maximum points from both matches against Somalia, beginning with what is expected to be a crucial home encounter at the newly approved Essipong Stadium.
