Accra to renovate stadium

Sporting arena to be renovated in time for Africa Women’s Championship.

Renovation works are to begin at Accra Sports Stadium in early January in preparation for November's Africa Women’s Championship (AWC), according to Ghana's sports minister Isaac Asiamah.

The refurbishment of the 40,000-seater venue will see the reopening of the section containing the corporate and press boxes which was closed recently by the National Sports Authority (NSA) after safety officers condemned it as a "death trap."

In 2001 the venue was the scene of the worst stadium disaster in African history, when 127 fans died during a match between two of the coutry's main football teams: home side Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko from Kumasi.

A subsequent enquiry blamed police for reckless behaviour and indiscriminate firing of plastic bullets and tear gas. The commission of enquiry found that police over-reacted to rioting football fans many of whom died from asphyxia during a stampede as the crowd attempted to escape through locked gates.