| Baba Yara Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Former names | Kumasi Sports Stadium |
| Location | Kumasi, Ghana |
| Opened | 1959 (first stands were built in 1971) |
| Owner | Sports Council of Ghana |
| Tenants | |
| Asante Kotoko King Faisal Babes |
|
Baba Yara Stadium (also known as Kumasi Sports Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Kumasi, Ghana. It is Ghana's largest stadium, with a capacity of 40,500. It is named after Baba Yara, one of Ghana's top footballers who played for Asante Kotoko and the Ghana national football team, the Black Stars, as a right winger.[1]
The Kumasi Stadium is used mostly for football matches, although it is also used for athletics. It is the home of one of Africa's most popular sports clubs, Asante Kotoko as well as King Faisal Babes. Kumasi is Ghana's second largest city and the capital of the Ashanti Kingdom. The stadium was originally built by the United African Company (UAC) around the time of Ghana's independence.[2]
The stadium was originally inaugurated as a designated football pitch in 1959. The first stands were constructed in 1971.[2] The stadium was rebuilt in 1977. The third major works ended in 2008. As part of the works, the west stand was demolished to be replaced by a two-tier stand with press, corporate, and VIP facilities. The rest of the stands were upgraded, seats were added, and transparent panels were installed to separate the spectator area from the playing area in order to prevent pitch invasions.
The stadium hosted 6 group matches and one of the semi final matches of the 1978 African Cup of Nations tournament in Ghana. During the 2000 African Cup of Nations in Ghana and Nigeria, the stadium hosted 7 matches.[3] It was later used for the 2008 African Cup of Nations.