Alexander Duncan, the Head of the National Sports Authority in the Central Region, has strongly criticized CAF's recent evaluation of the Cape Coast Stadium, which led to the venue being deemed unsuitable for CAF inter-club competition group stage matches.
Even though Medeama and Dreams FC expressed a desire to use the Cape Coast Stadium for their group stage matches, CAF conducted an inspection that ultimately resulted in the rejection of the venue.
The inspection report highlighted several areas of the stadium that would require renovation and upgrading to meet CAF's standards, essentially stating that the stadium needs refurbishment to align with modern football stadium requirements.
Duncan, however, strongly disagrees with the reasons for rejection, emphasizing, "I was not really shocked, but we contest the results in its entirety because they raised five major issues."
He went on to list key games and tournaments that the Cape Coast Stadium has recently hosted, which, in his view, should have qualified it for hosting the group stage games.
"This is a stadium that hosted CAF matches in August and October. It hosted Remo Stars and Horoya when they played Medeama SC. These are CAF top-notch matches. This is a stadium that hosted the WAFU tournament barely two months ago in Ghana. All the matches were played there. This is a stadium that helped Ghana qualify for the World Cup in Qatar."
Duncan also highlighted the report's recommendation for a total shutdown of the stadium, a suggestion he vehemently opposed. He argued that some clubs may not find Cape Coast financially viable for their games and prefer other venues. He urged CAF to be honest about their preferences, stating, "There are issues that if clubs play at Cape Coast, they don't make money, so they prefer Kumasi and other areas than Cape Coast. If you prefer other venues, just say it and don't paint Cape Coast Stadium black."
As a result of CAF's decision, both Dreams FC and Medeama will have to use the Baba Yara Stadium for their group stage games.
