Poor astroturf pitches could trigger rise in ACL injuries – Sports Minister Kofi Adams
Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has raised alarm over the increasing number of poor-quality astroturf pitches being built across the country, warning that unsafe playing surfaces could expose footballers to serious knee injuries.
Speaking on SportyFM’s SoccerChat programme, the minister expressed concern about the long-term impact of substandard artificial pitches on players, particularly the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.
“I’m very worried about the inferior astroturfs that we’re constructing and making our players play on very hard surfaces, leading to future ACL injuries,” he said.
Mr Adams argued that communities would be better off using traditional “sakora” parks, bare community football grounds, than allowing athletes to play on poorly constructed synthetic surfaces.
“If you’ll not do grass pitches or proper astroturfs, then let them play on the ‘sakora’ parks,” he added.
Over the past eight years, Ghana has seen a rapid expansion in the construction of astroturf facilities across towns and communities, largely aimed at promoting grassroots football and nurturing young talent.
While some of the pitches have been widely praised for meeting acceptable standards, others have faced criticism from players, coaches and football administrators over concerns about safety, durability and playing conditions.
The minister has now called on contractors, organisations and agencies involved in sports infrastructure development to prioritise quality and safety standards in future projects.
His comments come amid growing global concern about the relationship between hard artificial playing surfaces and injuries among footballers, particularly ACL damage, which can sideline athletes for several months or even end careers prematurely.
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