Accra Sports Stadium


The Accra Sports Stadium, formerly named the Ohene Djan Stadium is a multi-use, 40,000-capacity all-seater stadium in Accra. Ghana, mostly used for association football matches. It is also used for rugby union.

Overview

The stadium was inaugurated in 1952 by a football match played between Accra XI and Kumasi XI.
Originally known as the Accra Sports Stadium, the stadium was renamed after Ohene Djan, the country's first Director of Sports, in 2004 after renovations. Its renaming was quite controversial and opposed by the Ga people. There has been ongoing controversy about the name of the stadium. On June 16, 2011, the name 'Ohene Djan Stadium' on the stadium building was changed to 'Accra Sports Stadium' without any official announcement by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly supported by the National Democratic Congress Government. It has since been reverted.
As a designated venue of some of the 2008 African Cup of Nations matches, the stadium was rebuilt, upgraded and modernized to meet FIFA standards. Work on the stadium was completed in October 2007. It was inaugurated with a four-nations tournament that Ghana won.
The stadium is also the home of one of Africa's most popular clubs, Hearts of Oak as well as Great Olympics and Legon Cities FC, but Ghana's national team matches are sometimes played there.
During the 2000 African Cup of Nations in Ghana and Nigeria, the stadium hosted 9 matches, and was also the venue of the 1978 final.