Izuchukwu Okosi
The Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi will not host the first leg of the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoffs between Ghana and Nigeria as the Confederation of African Football has turned down the request of the Ghana Football Association to play the game at the stadium.
The Baba Yara Sports Stadium is under renovation and CAF has ruled that the standard of the stadium is not good enough to host matches of such magnitude insisting that the GFA cannot change the hitherto approved venue of the payoff fixture.
The Ghana versus Nigeria match is originally billed to be played in Cape Coast. The Cape Coast Stadium is the venue of the country’s Independence Day celebration on March 6, which is less than two weeks away from the qualifier between Ghana and Nigeria
CAF’s official statement on the match venue read as thus:
“The Fifa World Cup 2022 preliminary competition regulations in its article 21 venues, kick-off times and training sessions stipulate that: “The venues of matches shall be set by the host association and/or by the confederation, as applicable, and the matches may only be played in stadiums that have been inspected and approved by the confederation concerned.
“The opponents and the Fifa general secretariat shall be notified by the host association and/or by the confederation, as applicable, at least three months before the match in question is due to be played.”
“24th of December 2021 was the deadline set by CAF for the participating national associations to select and communicate to Caf their preferred venue for the playoff round of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 African qualifiers.
CAF’s statement did confirm that the Ghana Football Association had picked the Cape Coast stadium even before the draws was conducted.
The continent’s football ruling body went ahead to speak on the rationale behind a pre-agreed venue.
“On the 23rd of December 2021, GFA informed CAF that Cape Coast Stadium was the venue selected for the playoff round of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 African qualifiers.
“Based on the venue selection received from each of the participating national association, CAF has timely concluded the assessment of the selected stadium(s) and communicated to FIFA the venue decisions for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 African qualifiers playoff round.
“Considering that matchday is in less than 30 days, CAF is not in a position to delay any further the confirmation of the match venue. As you are aware, the selection of the venue, respective date and time of the match, has to be set well in advance having a direct impact on the preparation of match logistics and operations by all the concerned parties.
“Besides, please note that Kumasi Sports Stadium is currently non-homologated by CAF to host international matches, since it has been under renovations and no CAF inspection was conducted to the stadium to re-assess the level of stadium compliance.
“Considering the above, the request of change of venue is not accepted, hence the match Ghana Vs. Nigeria for the playoff round of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 African qualifiers should be maintained at Cape Coast Stadium.
“In case your association reiterate the position to change the venue, since there is no other approved venue in Ghana, your national team will be requested to play its upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 African qualifiers playoff round match in an approved stadium outside its territory, and the venue must be selected from among the stadiums approved by CAF.”
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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