MAY 9: Ghana’s Dark Day in Football History

Disaster at Accra Sports Stadium

By Ivan Calvin Sharpe @CalvinIvanShar2

Just like any other game played on the earth, football is intended to entertain its fans. Indeed, the fans are the lifeblood of the game. The fans keep the heart racing and the adrenaline pumping with their distinctive methods of rooting for their teams. When their teams win, they go onto the field and passionately jubilate, chanting their team anthems. When they lose, they sob in despair.

On a few occasions, they even lay down their lives for the sport. Like the unfortunate incident that happened in Ghana in the year 2001 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Today in history, exactly 22 years ago, two of the Ghana’s most successful domestic league teams, Accra Heart of Oak (The Phobians) Sporting Club and Asante Kotoko (Porcupine Warriors) Sporting Club, squared off against each other at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra.

The authorities had already increased security in response to the anticipated crowd disturbances, but no one could ever imagine what would happen at the stadium.

Asante Kotoko led with a lone goal for most of the game. However, the local team Hearts managed to score twice in the dying embers of the game, giving them a 2-1 victory that upset the Kotoko supporters.

As an aftermath of the disappointing result, the disappointed fans started hurling bottles and plastics seats unto the field. In an effort to manage the situation, the police started to shoot tear gas and plastic bullets unto the throng.

The crowd began to stampede at the sight of the gas and made for the exits. Unfortunately, there were far too few of them, creating a bottleneck that led to a pandemonium that left in its wake 116 people dead.

The official cause was “comprehensive asphyxia”. Traumatic death claimed the lives of 10 more people.

The beautiful game of football had turned, in a moment, from a loving sport to a massacre of incredible proportion.

The day was May 9, 2001, It was indeed a black day, not just in the history of Ghanaian soccer, but that of African football.

According to reports, the medical staff had already left the stadium and some gates had been sealed to stop escape. Six police officers were ultimately accused of killing 127 people after an official investigation found that the police overreacted to the circumstances. However, the court ultimately was unable to determine whether the suffocation was brought on by the tear gas or stampede.

Whatever the reason would have been, the loss of 127 lives is not what one expects as the outcome of a football match. Not from the game that is supposed to bind people together in love and oneness irrespective of culture, creed, color, or caste.

This is probably why fans attending Accra Hearts of Oak versus Asante Kotoko clashes in any stadium chant “Never Again! Never Again! to remind everyone of the cursed day and the lost lives in the massacre that still remains one of the saddest days in the history of football.