Kelvin Papa Sackey writes: 126 lives lost in 90 minutes: revisiting Africa’s worst Stadium tragedy
By this time the last tear gas shell had been fired and the stampede had subsided; 127 fans, including men, women, and children, lay dead at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium now Accra Sports Stadium in Accra
On 9 May 2001, a regular Premier League match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko descended into the darkest chapter in Ghana’s sporting history.
By this time the last tear gas shell had been fired and the stampede had subsided; 126 fans, including men, women, and children, lay dead at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium now Accra Sports Stadium in Accra.
The disaster, the deadliest stadium tragedy in African history and the third-worst globally, remains a solemn scar on the conscience of our nation. It was not the rivalry nor the loss on the pitch but the lethal combination of poor stadium infrastructure, a panicked police response, and institutional negligence that turned celebration into catastrophe.
Witnesses described the horror. Disappointed fans hurled debris in protest, prompting riot police to respond with tear gas. Panic erupted.
Locked gates and a poorly designed stadium became a trap. People were crushed to death trying to escape. Others collapsed from the gas.
One fan, Abdul Mohammed, was mistakenly presumed dead and taken to the mortuary, only to awaken later, nearly buried alive.
The official inquiry rightly laid blame at the feet of the police, whose indiscriminate firing and poor judgement cost lives. Yet, the failure went far beyond the pitch.
Reports confirmed that medical teams had left before full time. Escape routes were blocked. No amount of national mourning, the then President Kufuor’s declaration of three days or the month-long football suspension could reverse the loss.
In the years since, efforts to honour the victims have taken shape. Former Asante Kotoko chairman Herbert Mensah has been instrumental in ensuring that the memory of the lost is kept alive through the May 9th Remembered commemorations.
These include memorial walks, aid for bereaved families, interfaith prayers, and the symbolic bronze statue outside the stadium bearing the words “I Am My Brother’s Keeper”.
Yet, amid these efforts lies a sobering truth: the recommendations from the inquiry on security, first aid, and emergency response have not all been fully implemented. The stadium itself, renovated in 2007, has once again fallen into disrepair, a silent indictment of our nation’s short memory and political inertia.
Today, fans still chant “Never Again!” as they fill the stands, but those words must be more than ritual. They must become policy. Every 9 May must not only be remembered but acted upon.
The time has come for Ghana to officially recognise 9 May as a National Day of Stadium Safety and Remembrance. We owe that to the 127 souls who perished not from the passion of the game but from the failures of those entrusted with their safety. Their deaths must not have been in vain.
Asaase Broadcasting Company airs on Asaase 99.5 Accra, Asaase 98.5 Kumasi, Asaase 99.7 Tamale, Asaase 100.3 Cape Coast, AsaasePa 107.3 (Accra).
Affiliates: Bawku FM 101.5, Bead FM 99.9 (Bimbilla), Mining City Radio 89.5 (Tarkwa), Nandom FM 101.9, Nyatefe Radio 94.5 (Dzodze), Sissala Radio 96.3 (Tumu), Somuaa FM 89.9 (Gushegu), Stone City 90.7 (Ho) and Wale FM 106.9 (Walewale).
Listen online: asaaseradio.com, Sound Garden and TuneIn.
Follow us:
X: @asaaseradio995, @Asaase985ksi, @Asaase997tamale, @asaase1003, asaasepa1073
Instagram: asaaseradio99.5, asaase985ksi, asaase100.3, asaase99.7tamale, asaasepa107.3
LinkedIn: company/asaaseradio995. TikTok: @asaaseradio99.5
Facebook: asaase99.5, asaase985ksi, Asaase100.3, asaase99.7, AsaasePa107.3.
YouTube: AsaaseRadioXtra.
Join the conversation. Accra: call 020 000 9951/054 888 8995, WhatsApp 020 000 0995. Kumasi: call 059 415 7985 or call/WhatsApp 020 631 5260. Tamale: call/WhatsApp/SMS 053 554 6468. Cape Coast: call/WhatsApp 059 388 2652.
#AsaaseRadio
#AsaasePa
#TheVoiceofOurLand
