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.[3] Ghana, mostly used for association football matches. It is also used for rugby union.[4]

Accra Sports Stadium
LocationAccra, Ghana
Capacity40,000[1][2]
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Opened1952
Renovated2007
ArchitectMrs. Lomax
Tenants
Great Olympics
Hearts of Oak

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.[5] 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.[6] 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 Zenith Cup).

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,[7] and was also the venue of the 1978 final.

The venue has also hosted important professional boxing events, numbering 91 professional boxing programs as of August, 2020.[8] Perhaps the most famous one took place on Saturday, November 6, 1976, when Ghanaian David Kotei, the World Boxing Council's world Featherweight champion, lost his championship to future International Boxing Hall of Fame member, Mexican-American Danny Lopez by a 15 rounds unanimous decision.[9] This program also featured a bout between undefeated, 29-0 prospect Sulley Shittu and Felix Figueroa, which Shittu won by 8 rounds decision.[10] The crowd for this event has been estimated at over 100,000 fans.[11]

See also

Notes and references
  1. "China loans 31 million USD for Accra Sports Stadium-". AIDDATA. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  2. "Accra Sports Stadium – StadiumDB.com". stadiumdb.com.
  3. "World Stadiums - Stadiums Ghana". www.worldstadiums.com.
  4. "Conquerors blow Hurricanes away in Rugby Championship Final - X Live Africa". xliveafrica.com.
  5. Ghanaian Chronicle (28 April 2005). "Ohene Djan Did Not Warrant Honour - Adjin Tettey". Sports news. Ghana Home Page. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
  6. "Ohene Djan Stadium renamed Accra Sports Stadium". Ghana Home Page. 2011-06-17. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
  7. "Accra National Stadium". Cup of Nations Venue Guide. BBC. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
  8. https://boxrec.com/en/venue/46320
  9. https://www.ringtv.com/123897-hall-of-fame-friday-danny-little-red-lopez/
  10. https://boxrec.com/en/event/297772
  11. https://www.ringtv.com/554332-best-i-faced-danny-little-red-lopez/

Preceded by
Addis Ababa Stadium
Addis Ababa		 African Cup of Nations
Final Venue
1978		 Succeeded by
National Stadium
Lagos
Preceded by
Cairo International Stadium
Cairo		 African Cup of Nations
Final Venue
2008		 Succeeded by
Estádio Cidade Universitária
Luanda
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