Grenada moves Nations League home games to T&T over pitch concerns
Key Points(5)
- The GFA will stage two doubleheaders at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on October 2 and 5, with Grenada scheduled to play Bonaire in the second match on each date.
- Kitts and Nevis will meet Cuba at 5:00 p.m., followed by Bonaire against Grenada at 8:00 p.m.
- Three days later, Cuba will face St.
- Kitts and Nevis at 5:00 p.m., before Grenada takes on Bonaire at 8:00 p.m.
- Compliance concerns escalate The move follows a series of warnings and sanctions concerning the Grenadian venue.
Grenada has surrendered home-field advantage for its opening 2026/27 Concacaf Nations League fixtures, with the Grenada Football Association moving its League B, Group C matches to Trinidad and Tobago because of continuing concerns over the condition of the playing surface at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium.
The GFA will stage two doubleheaders at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on October 2 and 5, with Grenada scheduled to play Bonaire in the second match on each date.
On October 2, St. Kitts and Nevis will meet Cuba at 5:00 p.m., followed by Bonaire against Grenada at 8:00 p.m.
Three days later, Cuba will face St. Kitts and Nevis at 5:00 p.m., before Grenada takes on Bonaire at 8:00 p.m.
Compliance concerns escalate
The move follows a series of warnings and sanctions concerning the Grenadian venue.
The GFA was fined over field conditions in September 2023 and again in May 2026. Concacaf subsequently warned in August 2024 that the surface did not meet the required League B standard.
Following matches in September 2024, the confederation also cited dirt patches and waterlogged areas on the field.
Those concerns remained unresolved when Concacaf conducted another inspection on August 5, 2026, with the pitch again deemed unsatisfactory.
The GFA said the Grenada National Stadium Authority had also failed to provide a revised field-maintenance plan and the required lighting report, leaving the stadium ineligible for approval to host the matches.
Costly loss of home advantage
According to Grenadian football officials, relocating the fixtures was a proactive decision intended to avoid additional sanctions and safeguard the country’s standing in the competition.
GFA President Marlon Glean said playing at home remains the association’s preferred option, but repeated compliance violations could eventually carry more serious consequences.
The decision, however, comes at a significant price.
Glean said moving the matches means additional expense for the association, the loss of home advantage and the disappointment of supporters who will be unable to watch the national team play on home soil.
The GFA estimates the relocation will cost approximately EC$336,345.69.
Not a formal ban
The association stressed that Grenada has not been formally banned from hosting Concacaf matches.
Instead, the decision to move the October fixtures was made before further sanctions could become an issue.
The GFA said its longer-term objective is to work with the government and stadium authorities to address the outstanding requirements and restore international football to Grenada.
For that to happen, the Kirani James Athletics Stadium must consistently satisfy FIFA and Concacaf standards for pitch quality, maintenance and match infrastructure.
Until then, Grenada’s Nations League campaign will begin on foreign soil, even for the matches designated as home fixtures.
