The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is preparing for potentially severe penalties due to ongoing crowd control problems that were highlighted during the Black Stars’ recent match against Angola.

Security at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium proved inadequate during Ghana’s 1-0 defeat in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifier, leading to two significant disruptions.

During the first half of the game, a fan breached security and ran onto the pitch to embrace Ghanaian striker Jordan Ayew.

This intrusion caused a temporary halt in play, and the fan was promptly arrested. However, the situation worsened after the match.

Following Angola’s decisive 93rd-minute goal, frustrated fans stormed the pitch and vandalized the stadium.

The field was left strewn with plastic bottles and other debris, and nearly all of the pitch panels were damaged.

The police were able to arrest one individual in connection with the vandalism, but the extent of the damage was considerable.

This incident contributes to a troubling trend of fan-related disruptions in Ghanaian football.

The GFA had previously been fined $10,000 in 2019 for a similar pitch invasion during an AFCON 2021 qualifier against South Africa.

Earlier this year, Ghana faced a $15,000 fine for crowd disturbances during an AFCON 2023 group match against Cape Verde.

Given the recurring nature of these issues, further sanctions from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) are anticipated.