China U-19 team to face Ghana to open new stadium

China's national U-19 male team, Asia U-19 championship contenders, will meet Ghana's U-20 side in an international soccer friendly on May 3 to formally commission the newly-built sports stadium in Cape Coast, a senior Ghanaian official announced on Friday.

The match, to be played under flood lights at the 15,000-capacity multipurpose new regional stadium, will climax the whole-day activities lined up to mark the official opening.

President John Dramani Mahama will officially commission the stadium constructed by the China Jiangxi Cooperation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation, said Ghana's Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije.

According to Vanderpuije, Ali Bongo Ondimba, the President of Gabon, is also expected to join the Ghanaian President in the commissioning ceremony.

There will also be other activities, including music and dance, line-up as part of activities marking the opening of the ultra-modern facility.

The stadium was constructed with a Chinese grant of 33 million U.S. dollars, the biggest ever China-aided project in Ghana.

It is furnished with modern facilities for hosting multi sports events.

Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong and Ghana's Minister of Youth and Sports Nii Lantey Vanderpuije signed the handover and acceptance certificate to officially deliver the completed stadium to the authorities.

Sun said the stadium was an epitome of the ever-deepening China-Ghana relations and would undoubtedly further promote sports development in Ghana, enhance the tourism attractiveness of Cape Coast and stimulate the economic development of the region and Ghana at large.

Vanderpuije thanked the Chinese government for the beautiful stadium.

"I will say that we are highly appreciative of what the Chinese government has done for the people of Ghana," he said.

The Chinese football association has donated 300 footballs to schools in the region for their football development programs.