Deputy Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Gideon Hammond, has assured Ghanaians that measures will be taken to address challenges witnessed during the Black Stars’ recent World Cup qualifier against Mali at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The game was marred by issues after fans forced their way into the Independence Square Stand, an area considered unsafe and initially marked to be closed. Concerns also surfaced about possible overprinting of tickets, which contributed to overcrowding in certain sections of the stadium.
Mr. Hammond, however, dismissed claims that the NSA printed more tickets than the approved allocation. “There were no overprinting of tickets because all the tickets we printed had security features on them. We know we were supposed to print 26,000 tickets,” he explained.
He also admitted lapses in security on the matchday but stressed that the Authority is already working on rectifying the shortcomings. “I can assure Ghanaians that all the concerns raised are learning curves. The notes we picked from the Ghana-Chad game and the ones we further picked up in the Ghana-Mali game will encourage and advise us on what more to do,” he stated.
Looking ahead, Mr. Hammond promised tighter measures to guarantee safety and order when Ghana hosts Comoros in their next home qualifier in October. “I promise you that in Ghana’s next home game, there will be top security presence on the grounds,” he assured.
