Ghana's build-up to a crucial 2027 Africa cup of nations qualifier has received a major boost, with the Accra sports stadium reportedly given the go-ahead by the Confederation of African football to host international fixtures once again.

The Black Stars open their Group C qualifying campaign on the road, travelling to Bouaké to face Côte d'Ivoire on September 24. They then return home for a 4pm kick-off against The Gambia on September 29, a match that will now go ahead at the Accra sports stadium. Only the top two sides in the group will punch their tickets to the 2027 finals, set to be staged across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Getting the stadium ready wasn't straightforward. The venue had been shut off from domestic league action for weeks so its pitch could recover and undergo upgrade work in time for the international window. That forced Hearts of Oak to shift their opening Ghana premier league fixtures to the University of Ghana stadium, with the national sports authority barring other clubs from using the Accra ground throughout the restoration process.

Before the approval came through, GFA communications director Henry Asante Twum had flagged the stakes involved, noting that the Accra sports stadium remains Ghana's only CAF-certified venue and stressing that the shutdown was necessary to bring the surface up to scratch. Sports Minister Kofi Adams and NSA boss Yaw Ampofo Ankrah paid the facility a visit on September 11 to check on progress as the deadline approached.

As a final test run, the stadium hosted a CAF confederation cup preliminary tie between Nations FC and FC Diarra, which finished 1-1, giving officials a live opportunity to confirm the venue could deliver a match environment up to CAF's standards.

With the paperwork sorted, focus now shifts to results, starting with a tough away assignment in Côte d'Ivoire before the Black Stars look to make home advantage count against The Gambia.

By: Addy Kennedy Edem