Kumasi Sports Stadium
Encyclopedia
Baba Yara 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.
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.
The stadium was originally inaugurated as a designated football pitch in 1959. The first stands were constructed in 1971. 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 invasion
s.
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. It was later used for the 2008 African Cup of Nations
.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
in Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. 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
Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko Football Club, also known as Asante Kotoko, is one of the biggest and most successful football clubs in Ghana as well as being one of the more successful teams in Africa, having won twenty national league titles. They have also twice been champions of Africa. The club's home ground is...
and the Ghana national football team
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
, the Black Stars, as a right winger.
The Kumasi Stadium is used mostly for football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
matches, although it is also used for athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
. It is the home of one of Africa's most popular sports clubs, Asante Kotoko as well as King Faisal Babes
King Faisal Babes
King Faisal Babes is a professional football club in Kumasi, Ghana, playing in the Ghana Telecom Premier League, and finished 3rd in 2005-06. They were represented at the FIFA World Cup 2006 by left-back Habib Mohamed, who was playing for Ghana. King Faisal Babes were relegated at the end of the...
. Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
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.
The stadium was originally inaugurated as a designated football pitch in 1959. The first stands were constructed in 1971. 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 invasion
Pitch invasion
A pitch invasion or field invasion, known as rushing the field in the United States, occurs when a crowd of people who are watching a sports game run onto the field, to celebrate or protest about an incident...
s.
The stadium hosted 6 group matches and one of the semi final matches of the 1978 African Cup of Nations
1978 African Cup of Nations
The 1978 African Cup of Nations was the 11th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa . It was hosted by Accra and Kumasi, Ghana...
tournament in Ghana. During the 2000 African Cup of Nations
2000 African Cup of Nations
The 2000 African Cup of Nations was the 22nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa . It was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, who jointly replaced Zimbabwe as host. Just like in 1998, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...
in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, the stadium hosted 7 matches. It was later used for the 2008 African Cup of Nations
2008 African Cup of Nations
The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the MTN Africa Cup of Nations due to the competition's sponsorship by MTN, was the 26th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football tournament for nations affiliated to the Confederation of African Football . The tournament was staged at...
.