Competitive football will not be played at the Accra Sports Stadium until the Black Stars host The Gambia in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, following a temporary shutdown of the facility for renovation and maintenance.

National sports authority director-general Yaw Ampofo Ankrah says the closure is necessary to allow work to be completed to bring the country’s national stadium up to the standards required by the Confederation of African Football.

The decision means clubs that intended to use the venue during the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season must find alternative approved home grounds. Accra Hearts of Oak are among the teams likely to be directly affected by the arrangement.

“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 the Black Stars’ home game against The Gambia,” Ampofo Ankrah said on Asempa FM’s Ultimate Sports Show.

The closure comes just days before the new premier league campaign begins, with the opening round of fixtures scheduled for the weekend of September 4 to 7. The Ghana football association had earlier listed the Accra Sports Stadium among 14 venues cleared by its Club licensing board for the season, alongside the University of Ghana Stadium, Aliu Mahama sports stadium, Baba Yara stadium, TNA Stadium and Len Clay Stadium.

For Hearts of Oak and other affected teams, the immediate challenge is not only identifying an alternative venue but also managing the financial and logistical consequences of moving home matches. A change of venue can affect supporter attendance, match-day revenue, travelling costs and, crucially, the familiar home advantage clubs rely on over a demanding 30-week league season.

Ghana will begin their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign away to Ivory Coast in Bouaké on September 24 before hosting The Gambia at the Accra sports stadium three days later. The NSA says the rehabilitation works are intended to ensure the venue is ready for that important Black Stars assignment

The bigger question for Ghana football now is whether the work will be completed on schedule—and whether the refurbished stadium will meet the long-term standards expected of the country’s premier sporting facility.