Ghana reject Swazi Stadium's artificial turf

The Swaziland football authorities will have to swallow the bitter pill that the $5 million worth artificial turf at the Somhlolo Stadium is not preferred internationally as the Ghanaian national team has put it clearly that they prefer to use a natural turf for their pre-AFCON match against Malawi on Tuesday.

This has prompted the Local 2010 World Cup Technical Committee to book the Mavuso sports centre for this epic match to feature the ‘Black Stars’ of Ghana against ‘The Flames’ of Malawi scheduled for 7:30pm on Tuesday when logic would have dictated that the match be played at the country’s Mecca, the Somhlolo Stadium.

The Ghanaians will use this match to test the country’s facilities including hotels ahead of the 2010 World Cup next year to ascertain whether they can set up their pre-World Cup camp base in the country before proceeding to Nelspruit, South Africa where they will be based for the duration of the global showpiece. As part of the pre-requirements of bringing their match against ‘The Flames’ to the country the Ghanaians put it succinctly clear that they want to use a venue with a natural turf for the match. Local 2010 World Cup Technical Committee Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Apollo Maphalala during a press briefing on Thursday explained that they had since elected to book the Mavuso sports centre on behalf of the team after they asked that they use a natural turf.

“They made it quite clear that they wanted to use a natural turf for the match and we have then had to organise the Mavuso sports centre for the match,” he said.