Kurt Okraku had to pull strings to get Baba Yara Stadium approved for Ghana v Nigeria game – Randy Abbey reveals

Randy Abbey, Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association [GFA] has revealed that Kurt Okraku had to pull strings to get the Baba Yara Stadium approved as the venue for Ghana’s World Cup qualifier against Nigeria.

After the country’s independence day celebration, the Cape Coast Stadium which was supposed to host the game was left in a poor state after images of the poor state of the pitch surfaced online which led to Nigeria petitioning FIFA for the match to be played at a neutral venue.

However, the leadership of the Ghana FA secured a late approval to host the Super Eagles at the Baba Yara Stadium on March 25.

Mr Abbey speaking said that it would be a story that Kurt Okraku, who is the president of the Ghana Football Association [GFA] to tell years ahead of how he managed to secure the Baba Yara Stadium for the game.

“What the GFA president went through to get CAF and FIFA to agree for us to play at Baba Yara with some conditions, maybe one day he would tell the story himself.

“I don’t want to be the person to say it. But what Kurt Okraku has gone through to get that done,” he made his assertion on Metro TV’s Good Morning.

Meanwhile, CAF have given conditions to the Ghana FA to fulfil before the game at the Baba Yara Stadium.

Here are the conditions:

• Adjustment of the floodlight intensity. A minimum of 1200 Lux should be provided all over the pitch, covering uniformly every area of the playing field;
• Increase seating and lockers in the team dressing rooms to reach (25) people;
•  Installation of completely new modern equipment and materials in the referees dressing rooms and ensure that is equipped with all the necessary materials and CAF requirements;
• Set up the water system to provide both cold and hot water in the teams and officials’ dressing room;
• General refurbishment of the CAF office, installation of modern desks and seats, including the necessary electronic and working equipment;
• VOC must be available and equipped with all the necessary equipment and requirements;
• Complete refurbishment of the media tribune, press conference room, and media centre, installing new and modern equipment.