Baba Yara Stadium
| Kumasi Sports Stadium | |
 | |
| Former names | Kumasi Sports Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Kumasi, Ashanti, Ghana |
| Owner | Sports Council of Ashanti |
| Capacity | 40,528 [1] |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1959 (first stands were built in 1971) |
| Project manager | United African Company (UAC) |
| Tenants | |
| Asante Kotoko[1] | |
Baba Yara Sports Stadium (also Kumasi Sports Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Kumasi, Ashanti. It is Ashanti's and Ghana's largest stadium, with a seating capacity of 40,528.
History
Stadium etymology
The stadium's original name is named after the Ashanti city of its birth, Kumasi Sports Stadium.[2]
Construction
The stadium was originally built by the United African Company (UAC) in 1957.[3]
The stadium was originally inaugurated as a designated football pitch in 1959. The first stands were constructed in 1971.[3] 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.[3]
Stadium usage and residence
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 club, Asante Kotoko.[3] Kumasi is the largest city in Ashanti and the capital the Kingdom of Asanteman.[3]
Tournaments
1978, 2000 and 2008 African Cup of Nations
The stadium hosted 6 group matches and one of the semi final matches of the 1978 African Cup of Nations tournament. During the 2000 African Cup of Nations, the stadium hosted 7 matches.[4] It was later used for the 2008 African Cup of Nations.
References
- 1 2 "Classic club: The great Porcupines of Africa - FIFA.com". fifa.com. FIFA. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ↑ Wayo Seni (2008-01-30). "Name Stadium". Retrieved 2008-02-06.
- 1 2 3 4 5 David Kyei (2008-01-06). "Kotoko to celebrate 50yrs of Kumasi Sports Stadium.". Asante Kotoko. Archived from the original on 2008-01-15. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
- ↑ "BBC News Online – Africa – Sport – Cup of Nations – Venue Guide – Kumasi". BBC News.
External links
Coordinates: 6°40′57.65″N 1°36′18.40″W / 6.6826806°N 1.6051111°W
| ||||||||||||||||||||
