Sammy Kuffour raises alarm over astroturf threat to Ghana football

Former Ghana and Bayern Munich legend Samuel Osei Kuffour has issued a warning regarding the future of Ghanaian football, specifically criticizing the nation’s growing reliance on artificial playing surfaces.

Speaking on 3Sports, the veteran defender argued that the continuous construction of "astroturf" pitches is detrimental to youth development and out of step with global trends.

Kuffour expressed deep concern that the lack of appropriate natural infrastructure could lead to a generational decline in the sport.

"For me, it's not about what we have lost, but what we are about to lose," Kuffour stated. "That's my worry because it will get to a time when you won't find any young boy playing football."

The UEFA Champions League winner highlighted the impracticality of synthetic grass in Ghana’s tropical environment, noting that the heat retention makes them unsuitable for high-level training.

"Making more pitches is not astroturf for me. It's too hot," he explained. Kuffour further pointed out that the global game is moving in a different direction: "Even in Europe, everybody has stopped using astroturf and now we are doing it."

More than 50 percent of constituencies in Ghana have astroturfs and many continue to call for more.

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