The Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, has declared that Jamaican dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel cannot host his anticipated music concert at the Accra Sports Stadium without a pitch cover, estimated at €500,000, to protect the stadium’s turf.
In an interview on Sporty FM’s Drive Show, Mr. Ampofo Ankrah emphasized the NSA’s firm stance on preserving the integrity of the stadium’s playing field, despite the potential cultural and economic benefits the concert could bring.
While he lauded the initiative as a positive step for music tourism and an opportunity to strengthen Ghana’s relations with Jamaica, he insisted that safeguarding the pitch must remain a top priority which its compromise could trigger his resignation.
Mr. Ampofo Ankrah acknowledged the elaborate nature of Vybz Kartel’s performances, which often require massive stage structures, light rigs, and booming sound setups. Such infrastructure exerts enormous pressure on the grass turf.
“We are saying what Vybz Kartel wants to do, we can’t do it without a pitch cover. If you look at the stages they mount and his performances, and the kind of artiste he is, he wants to feel at home everywhere he goes. The setup must suit his vibe, as it were. And so we need to give him that space, we can’t restrict him. But how do we give him that space without protecting our pitch? Otherwise, I might as well write my resignation letter.”
While the NSA is open to allowing him the freedom to perform fully, he stated that it must be ensured that the stadium, primarily a national sports facility, is not compromised.
The 40,000-capacity Accra Sports Stadium has previously hosted successful large-scale music events, including Shatta Wale’s Freedom Wave Concert and Stonebwoy’s Bhim Concert, drawing tens of thousands of fans. These events, while monumental for the local music scene, reignited debate over protecting the facility’s pitch during non-sporting events.
He stressed that although the authority is eager to host an international star of Kartel’s caliber, it must be done in a way that does not compromise the country’s sports infrastructure.
“It’s a challenge. but we are hoping to host Vybz Kartel. He’s selling out in Germany, London, we want to replicate that here. This is beyond music. It’s a whole statement about Ghana’s tourism, Ghana-Jamaica relations, and the evolving music connection between our two cultures.” he said