Deputy Director General of the National Sports Authority, Bawa Majeed, has pushed back against criticism of the Baba Yara Stadium pitch following Ghana’s 1-0 loss to Angola in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
Majeed sarcastically questioned whether Angola was “playing in the sky,” in response to complaints about the field’s condition.
Ahead of the match, images of the pitch had circulated on social media, raising concerns about its poor state. After the game, Ghana coach Otto Addo partly blamed center-back Abdul Mumin’s error on the subpar playing surface, describing it as “not good.”
In response, Majeed said on Asempa FM, “Are they suggesting that the Angolans were playing in the sky? They are all footballers, and both teams played on the same pitch. CAF inspected and approved the pitch for the game, so let’s focus on what happened on the field.”
Angola head coach Pedro Goncalves, despite his team’s win, also criticized the pitch, stating, “A country like Ghana deserves a better pitch and a better national stadium.”
The poor state of the turf has been attributed to a five-day religious event held at the stadium in July.
With the loss, Ghana now sits third in Group F, trailing Angola and Sudan. The Black Stars will aim to bounce back in their next match against Niger on Monday, September 9.
