Regional · Iconic • Kumasi, Ghana

Baba Yara Stadium

Capacity 40,528

Built 1959

Home clubs

A Asante Kotoko SC K King Faisal Babes

Buy tickets How to get there Seat map

Stadium Snapshot

Address Sports Road, Adum, Kumasi
Capacity 40,528
Surface Natural grass
Built 1959
Renovated 2007 (ahead of AFCON 2008)
Record attendance 45,000 (1970s Super Clash)
Architect Ghana Min. of Works + Housing · China Jiangxi Corp.
Owner Ghana Ministry of Youth and Sports

Kumasi, Ghana

Sports Road, Adum, Kumasi, Ashanti Region

Open Maps

Nearby Recommendations

Golden Tulip Kumasi City

1 km · 3 min drive

GHS₵₵₵₵

Lancaster Kumasi City Hotel

800 m · 5 min walk

GHS₵₵₵

Lizzie's Hotel Kumasi

400 m · 5 min walk

GHS₵₵

See all nearby

Section Guide

Find Your Best View

High Demand

Premium

Baba Yara Stadium bowl

Home End (Kotoko supporters)

The most atmospheric section — organised Kotoko ultras, flares at Super Clash and CAF Champions League matches, brass band on the concourse. Behind the goal.

Price Range GHS 40–100 (GPL) · GHS 100–150 (Super Clash)

Main Stand (Covered, East)

Best view — covered, midpoint of the pitch, cushioned seats including VIP sections. TV-camera side.

Price Range GHS 150–400 · VIP from GHS 500

Family Block (West Stand)

Mixed crowd, quieter, recommended with children. Covered. No flares policy enforced.

Price Range GHS 60–150

Away End (Block D, Gate 4)

Segregation zone for travelling fans (Hearts of Oak, Medeama, CAF visitors). Separate entry (Gate D), separate concessions, police escort.

Price Range GHS 40–80

How to get there

By car By taxi / ride-hail By public transport From the airport

By car

5–15 min from Kumasi city centre

Typical Fare

Indicative pricing

Est. cost Taxi from Kumasi city: GHS 15–25

The stadium sits on Sports Road, Adum — walking distance from Kejetia Central Market in Kumasi's commercial heart. From Kejetia the drive is 5 minutes off-peak and 15–20 minutes on a Super Clash or Kotoko big-match day. Access from the Kumasi Airport (KMS) is 10 km / 15 minutes.

Stadium parking capacity is limited — ~1,800 bays — and fills 90 minutes before kick-off on derby days
Many fans park at Prempeh II Jubilee Park (10-minute walk) and walk in
Avoid driving through Kejetia on matchday — heavy taxi + tro-tro congestion

By taxi / ride-hail

Bolt from anywhere in Kumasi

Typical Fare

Indicative pricing

Est. cost Bolt from Kejetia: GHS 8–15

Bolt is the dominant ride-hail option in Kumasi. Drivers accept match-day fares more reliably than in Accra. Request rides from the designated pickup area on Sports Road rather than the stadium perimeter.

Cash or card both work on Bolt in Kumasi
Uber is also available but has fewer drivers in Kumasi than Bolt
Informal 'dropping taxis' cost less but no price transparency — agree fare before getting in

By public transport

Tro-tro from any Kumasi district

Typical Fare

Indicative pricing

Est. cost Tro-tro: GHS 2–4

Tro-tros (shared minibuses) run from every major Kumasi district to Adum throughout match-day for GHS 2–4. The 'Stadium' or 'Adum' stop is two minutes walk from the main stadium entrance. Crowded but the most authentic Kumasi match-day experience.

From Kejetia Central Market: any Adum-bound tro-tro
From Suame: Adum-direct tro-tro or walk after the central market
Return tro-tros queue at the Prempeh Assembly Hall junction

From the airport

10 km · 15 minutes

Kumasi International Airport (KMS) is 10 km from the stadium — easily the closest African major-club stadium to an international airport. Taxis are readily available at arrivals. Bolt works at the airport.

Pre-book a driver with your hotel if arriving match-day morning
Airport → stadium: Bolt GHS 25–40 · airport taxi GHS 40–60

Where to buy tickets

Official

Asante Kotoko Ticketing + Ghana FA portal

Asante Kotoko runs league-match ticketing through scasantekotoko.com/tickets and the club's physical ticket office at the Manhyia grounds. Super Clash tickets and CAF Champions League tickets flow through the Ghana FA match-day portal.

Check current fixtures

Trusted resellers

Whitelisted secondary market

When the official portal sells out, these are the only resellers we recommend.

Ghana FA Match-day Portal Ticketmaster Ghana

Typical price ranges

GPL regular league

GHS 40–150

Super Clash

GHS 100–400

CAF Champions League

GHS 80–500

Black Stars friendly

GHS 100–300

Never buy tickets from unverified sellers outside the stadium on match-day. Counterfeit Super Clash tickets are a known problem at Kejetia — they clone the QR pattern but fail at the gate. Only use scasantekotoko.com, the Ghana FA portal, or Ticketmaster Ghana.

Match-Day Timeline

−3h

Stadium gates open

Super Clash requires earlier arrival — body search, long turnstile queues

Kickoff −3h

−2h

Warm-up begins

Limited concessions open; full food service from −1h

−2h

−90m

Team arrival

Kotoko players walk from the Manhyia side on derby days

−90 min

−30m

Stadium announcement

Pre-match entertainment + Asantehene's ceremonial blessing (Super Clashes)

−30 min

Kickoff

Match begins

Kickoff

Half-time concessions

Queues peak at 45–55 min; plan accordingly

FT +20m

Controlled exit

Home-end blocks released first, away fans held 30 min for safety

FT +20 min

Bag policy

Small bags only (laptop/handbag size). Large bags not permitted. No cloakroom on-site.

Cashless pref.

Concessions accept both cash and card. MTN Mobile Money QR also accepted; GHS coins for small purchases.

Outside food

No outside food or drink. Sealed water bottles up to 500ml permitted from Gate C.

Safety & fan tips

Kumasi match-days are generally peaceful and security is visible. The Ghana Police Service deploys 600–800 officers at Super Clash fixtures, 300+ at regular GPL matches. The highest-risk periods are the two hours before kick-off and the 30 minutes after the final whistle, and the sharpest pickpocket risk is at the Kejetia-side exit gates.

Visible security at every gate. Body search includes bag + outer clothing. Comply quickly — 2 minutes through the line off-peak, 8 minutes on derby day.
Keep cash in two separate pockets or use MTN Mobile Money. Pickpockets target the Kejetia-side exit and the turnstile crush at Gate A.
Do not wear Hearts of Oak purple-and-yellow in the Kotoko home end on Super Clash day. The Ghana Police will move you to the away end for your own safety.
On-site Ghana Red Cross at Gate B. Ghana Ambulance Service at Gate D. First aid at every stairwell.
Do not photograph security personnel or the turnstile checkpoint. Phone + camera use is fine inside the bowl.

Stadium medical (Ghana Red Cross) +233-32-2022-444

Ghana Police (emergency) 191

Accessibility

Wheelchair-accessible viewing platform at Block E (south-east), capacity 80
No elevator — ramps to all ground-level blocks; main stand upper level is stairs-only (known limitation)
No hearing-loop infrastructure — request portable receiver from Gate B reception 60 min pre kick-off
Accessible parking at North Car Park Bay 1–12 — reserved, book via Kotoko ticketing
Accessible washrooms at Gate B concourse and main stand level
Companion ticket free — apply to Kotoko ticketing 7+ days in advance with medical documentation

Where to stay and eat nearby

Hotels — walkable

Golden Tulip Kumasi City

1 km · 3 min drive · GHS₵₵₵₵

Kumasi's four-star flagship; walkable to the stadium. CAF officials and Ghana FA stay here on Super Clash weekends.

Book on Golden Tulip

Lancaster Kumasi City Hotel

800 m · 5 min walk · GHS₵₵₵

Modern business-grade hotel with reliable airport shuttle. Kotoko players occasionally use the facility for recovery sessions.

Book direct

Lizzie's Hotel Kumasi

400 m · 5 min walk · GHS₵₵

Closest mid-range option. Clean, safe, simple. Travelling Hearts of Oak away fans stay here.

Check Booking.com

Pre-match bars

Vic Baboo's Café — Adum

600 m · GHS₵₵

Full Ghanaian grill + big-screen football. Popular with GFA officials and visiting media.

Tribu Lounge — Ahodwo

3 km · GHS₵₵₵

Mixed crowd, TV coverage, outdoor seating. Good for families pre-kickoff.

Frankie's Restaurant — Adum

500 m · GHS₵₵

Walking distance, Ghanaian + continental menu, sells out on Super Clash days.

Post-match food

Chopstix — Ahodwo

3 km · GHS₵₵₵

Chinese and Thai fusion. Open late; queue manageable even on derby nights.

Aunty Muni Waakye — Adum

700 m · GHS₵

Legendary waakye street-food stall. Queue until midnight on match-days. Opens at 18:00.

Chez Mama — Kumasi

2.5 km · GHS₵₵

Nigerian + Ghanaian menu, late-night. Safe pick for a sit-down post-match dinner.

Historical Significance

Baba Yara Stadium was built in 1959 by the Ghana Ministry of Works and Housing as the Kumasi Sports Stadium. Renamed in 1988 after Alhaji Salifu 'Baba Yara' — the Ghanaian footballer and Black Stars midfielder who died in a car crash in 1969. Fully refurbished ahead of the 2008 AFCON by China Jiangxi Corporation (new seating bowl, pitch replacement, floodlight upgrade, full concourse rewire). It has hosted two AFCON tournaments (1978 Ghana, 2008 Ghana), CAF Champions League fixtures for Asante Kotoko, and every Super Clash played in Kumasi since 1970. The 2007 renovation pushed capacity to the current 40,528, slightly below the pre-renovation bench-seat peak of 45,000.

Built

1959

Renovated

2007

Surface

Natural grass

Record

45,000

Notable matches

28 Mar 1983

Asante Kotoko 1–0 Al-Ahly

1–0 (agg 1–1, Kotoko won on penalties)

CAF Champions League final second leg. Kotoko's second CAF CL title, won on a nerve-jangling penalty shootout in front of 40,000 in Kumasi.

11 Feb 2008

Ghana 2–0 Nigeria

2–0

AFCON 2008 quarter-final at Baba Yara — Michael Essien's performance of his career. Over 40,000 attendance; the single loudest Black Stars match of the century.

25 Apr 1993

Asante Kotoko 2–0 Hearts of Oak

2–0

Super Clash of the century — Kotoko clinched the league title in the 90th minute of the final matchday. Replayed on GTV every anniversary.

16 Mar 2021

Asante Kotoko 3–1 Hearts of Oak

3–1

Kwame Poku's opener + two more in the second half. First Super Clash played in front of fans post-COVID. Kotoko went on to win the 2021–22 title by 11 points.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the capacity of Baba Yara Stadium?

40,528 after the 2007 renovation. Record attendance was 45,000 in the pre-renovation bench-seat era (1970s Super Clashes). On modern match-days Asante Kotoko sells up to 38,000 tickets to allow movement space in aisles and safety zones.

Where is Baba Yara Stadium located?

On Sports Road, Adum district — in the heart of Kumasi. Walking distance (10 minutes) from Kejetia Central Market. 10 km from Kumasi International Airport (KMS). Full address: Sports Road, Adum, Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana.

How much are Super Clash tickets at Baba Yara?

Super Clash tickets run GHS 100–400 depending on seat. Standard home-end: GHS 100–150 (vs GHS 40 for a normal GPL fixture). Main Stand cushioned: GHS 200–400. VIP boxes: from GHS 500, sell out 6–8 weeks in advance. Buy through scasantekotoko.com, the Ghana FA portal, or Ticketmaster Ghana — never from Kejetia scalpers.

Is there parking at Baba Yara Stadium?

Yes — approximately 1,800 bays on-site, split between north and south car parks. Parking fills 90 minutes before kick-off on derby days. Many fans park at Prempeh II Jubilee Park (10 minutes walk) and walk in. Accessible parking at North Car Park Bays 1–12 is reserved — book via Kotoko ticketing.

What is the best seat at Baba Yara Stadium?

Main Stand (Covered, East) for the view — TV-camera side, cushioned, covered. Home End for atmosphere — organised Kotoko ultras, brass band, flares at Super Clash. Family Block (West) for a quieter family-friendly experience. Away End is segregated with separate entry through Gate D.

When was Baba Yara Stadium built?

1959, as the Kumasi Sports Stadium. It was renamed in 1988 after Ghanaian footballer Alhaji Salifu 'Baba Yara' who died in a 1969 car crash. The stadium underwent a full refurbishment in 2007 ahead of the 2008 AFCON — new seating bowl, pitch replacement, floodlight upgrade, full concourse rewire.

Who plays at Baba Yara Stadium?

Asante Kotoko SC is the primary tenant and has been continuously since 1959. King Faisal Babes occasionally use the stadium. The Ghana Black Stars also use Baba Yara for competitive home qualifiers — traditionally alternating with the Accra Sports Stadium so both Kumasi and Accra share national-team hosting.

How do I get to Baba Yara Stadium without a car?

Bolt from anywhere in Kumasi is the easiest option — GHS 8–15 from central Kejetia. Tro-tros run from every district to the Adum or Stadium stop throughout match-day (GHS 2–4). From Kumasi International Airport: Bolt GHS 25–40, airport taxi GHS 40–60.

Who owns Baba Yara Stadium?

The Ghana Ministry of Youth and Sports owns and operates the stadium, via the National Sports Authority (NSA). Asante Kotoko SC is the long-term primary match-day tenant. Facility-usage fees are paid by both Kotoko and visiting clubs for each fixture.

Club

Asante Kotoko

Club

Hearts of Oak (Super Clash)