Ghana Remembers The Departed In May 9 Stadium Disaster
It’s exactly 22 years since Ghana’s first tragic stadium disaster hit claiming the lives of over hundred twenty people.
It has made history as Africa’s worst stadium disaster and the third deadliest disaster in the history of the Association of Football after Peru’s Estadio Nacional disaster in 1964 and Indonesia’s Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster in 2022.
The Ghana Football Association and Kumasi Asante Kotoko- one of the sporting clubs whose fans were involved in the tragedy- have released statements commemorating the day.
Commiserating with the family of the persons who perished in the disaster, the FA noted that it is committed to the safety of fans who attend stadia matches.
“On this sad day, we remember our fallen friends, heroes, colleagues, and comrades who lost their lives in that manner whilst supporting the game they truly love. The GFA remains committed to honour the memory of our fallen friends by continuing our efforts to improve safety standards at our match venues.”
It added, “We call on clubs to join the Association to continue educating their fans on the laws of the game and to remain law-abiding before, during, and after league matches. Let us constantly remind ourselves that never again should such a tragedy befall our beautiful game and our beloved nation.”
The Porcupine warriors recalled, “22 years ago, our clouds of cheers and chants were suddenly and tragically covered in darkness as precious lives of football fans were lost,” and declared, “We at Asante Kotoko vehemently call for Zero Tolerance to Stadium riot and Football Violence.”
What Happened
Mayhem erupted when fans of Asante Kotoko felt cheated after rival Hearts of Oak thrashed their team by 2:1 at the Accra Sports Stadium, which at the time was called Ohene Djan Stadium.
The angry fans began to throw objects onto the pitch, an action that saw retaliation from security personnel at the stadium. The police fired tear gas and plastic bullets into the crowd.
The Stadium’s gates were reportedly locked causing a stampede and suffocation. It is reported that out of the 126 persons who died, 116 resulted from compressive asphyxia while 10 were from trauma.
Following this, a statute of a fan carrying another fan on the back was raised at the Stadium in memory of the incident. The statue carries the message “I Am My Brother’s Keeper” which is recited by fans whenever they visit the place.
