An artificial football pitch in Effiakuma, Western Region, was completely submerged over the weekend following hours of persistent rainfall in Takoradi.
The incident has reignited concerns over drainage infrastructure at some of Ghana’s modern recreational facilities.
In a widely circulated video, dozens of residents—mostly children and teenagers—were seen swimming and playing football in the flooded pitch, which had turned into a pool.
The footage was first shared on Facebook by retired footballer David Tetteh Botchway, who now coaches at Adiembra Secondary School in Sekondi.
The facility, which cost a reported $200,000, was funded by Ghana Gas and constructed in 2018 to promote grassroots football.
At the time, then-Effia MP Joseph Cudjoe said the astro turf was part of a broader effort to identify and nurture local talent through sports.
“This is where the awakening of the national teams that we want will begin,” Cudjoe had said during its commissioning.
Although the pitch was opened to the public in 2020, drainage issues have plagued it since, according to Tetteh, who also coaches at Sedan FC.
“Usually, after a few hours of rain, the surface gets filled. This time, the rain lasted much longer, so I’m not surprised it was completely underwater,” he told Joy Sports.
Last weekend’s heavy downpour appears to have overwhelmed the facility’s drainage system once again.
