The Ministry of Youth and Sports has sparked controversy on social media after proposing that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) consider using the University of Ghana Stadium for Black Stars' home matches.

Critics were quick to condemn the suggestion, pointing out that the UG Stadium does not comply with the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) standards for hosting Category 3 matches.

The ministry's proposal comes as officials scramble to find a replacement venue after CAF revoked approval for Baba Yara Stadium to host the remaining 2025 AFCON qualifiers in Ghana.

The UG Stadium was recently upgraded for the 13th African Games, where it served as the primary venue for athletics and some football events. Additionally, it has hosted the Men's MTN FA Cup final and the Women's Malta Guinness Cup final.

Despite these improvements, the stadium only qualifies to host CAF Category 2 matches.

Here are three reasons why the UG Stadium does not meet the required standard to host a CAF Category 3 match:

Capacity

One of the key factors for hosting a CAF Category 3 match is the stadium's seating capacity. The UG Stadium, however, falls short of this requirement.

According to CAF's updated guidelines from 2022, stadiums must have a seating capacity of 30,000. In contrast, the UG Stadium has only 11,000 seats, which immediately disqualifies it.

Additionally, the limited capacity affects other critical areas, such as the size of the VIP and VVIP sections, which also do not meet the necessary standards for hosting such high-profile games.

Dressing Room

CAF’s guidelines for Category 3 matches mandate that dressing rooms must have 25 seats and lockers.

In comparison, the dressing room at the UG Stadium is smaller and only provides 21 seats and lockers, falling short of the required standards.

Media Area

According to CAF, the media area for category 3 games should covered and have big desks that could accommodate a laptop and a notepad.

In contrast, the media area at the UG Stadium is exposed as required and is not spacious either as the individual desks provided are in small size and cannot accommodate a laptop and a notepad.