19th ANNIVERSARY OF 'MAY 9th DISASTER' COMMEMORATED

The 19th Anniversary of “May 9th disaster” was marked today with different ceremonies put together by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), as well as Accra Hearts of Oak Fc. The soccer fraternity was flayed with the unthinkable tragic news of the demise of about 126 soccer fans in 2001 when the nation’s two rivalry premier league football clubs Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko Fc faced off fiercely in a fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium. Kotoko fans threw plastic seats and bottles onto the pitch after Hearts struck late winner to beat them 2-1. Police fired tear gas into the crowd which caused panic and resulted in a stampede. The disaster went down in history books as one of the tragic incidents in football on the African comtinent.

● Ghana Football Association Function

Fast forward, nineteen years down the lane, the GFA commemorated the event with the families of the lost soccer fans. In a press statement appealing to all key stakeholders to make sure this bad omen does not happen again. The FA stressed on their preparedness to work with soccer fans, security services and Club Administrators to see to it that security is absolutely effective during match days at designated centers. ● Ministry of Youth and Sports Event

The ministry solemnly in charge of sporting activities, marked the day with an event as well. Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the sector Minister Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah, the Deputy Minister Hon. Perry Curtis Okudzeto reiterated government’s commitment to ensure the event which occurred 19 years ago does not reoccur. ● Accra Hearts of Oak Ceremony

The Accra based football club marked the day with a wreath laying ceremony dedicated to the 126 souls of soccer fans. In a Tweet, the football club shared pictures from the event on their official Twitter handle. May their souls rest in peace.

Credit: Ministry of Youth & Sports || GFA || Accra Hearts of oak