The Accra Sports Stadium will not be used for football matches until Ghana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against The Gambia, the Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, has confirmed.

The Black Stars are due to begin their qualifying campaign away to Ivory Coast on 24 September 2026 at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké.

They will then play their first home qualifier against The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later.

However, the decision means Ghana Premier League clubs planning to use the stadium as their home venue will have to find alternatives when the 2026/27 season begins this weekend.

Hearts of Oak, who have traditionally used the Accra Sports Stadium for their home matches, are among the clubs expected to be affected by the closure.

Ampofo Ankrah said the decision had been taken to allow the stadium to undergo the necessary preparations to meet the standards required by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

“Ghana Premier League clubs or any other club that will play their home games at the Accra Sports Stadium must look for an alternative venue because the Accra Sports Stadium will not be in use until Black Stars’ home game against The Gambia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

“We will ensure the stadium is up to the standard set by CAF,” he told Asempa FM.

Ghana will continue their qualifying campaign in November with back-to-back matches against Somalia before concluding the group stage with fixtures against Ivory Coast and The Gambia in March 2027.

The Black Stars are seeking to return to the AFCON after missing out on the previous edition of the tournament, which Morocco hosted.

Their failure to qualify for the 2025 tournament ended Ghana’s run of appearances at the finals and increased the pressure on the team to secure a place at the next edition.