Football
is the language we understand. It does not take us years to master it. We get
to know and love it. Sometimes it seem we get to love our favourite football
team by default. The courtship period is but a few games of nerve wrecking
action. The love fully blossoms when our team wins a trophy. It then becomes a
marriage that ends only at death. The disappointments are many and sometimes
huge. There are times you think you’ve seen it all when the biggest one
strikes. The history of this beautiful game is rich with events that make fans
wonder what it could have been or why something actually occurred. This sport
brings us so many memories and moments that stay with us forever. However there
are some memories that bring a tear to the eye. This memory is not about your
best player missing a penalty at the World Cup finals or your captain missing
the final spot kick to win your team the Champions league. It can be worse,
your team throwing away a 3 goal lead in a final or your captain being sent off for head
butting an opponent. Likewise your team losing to your biggest rivals at your
home ground. All these are painful and unbearable memories. However none of
these can be compared to the memory of losing a fellow fan at a football game. It
leaves an indelible memory in our hearts and minds. A football stadium is not
the place for hundreds of good men to breathe their last. We can accept to lose
a football match at home, but we cannot accept and afford in any term lose a
life there. May 9th 2001 stadium disaster was not a dark tragedy only
to the 126 families that lost their loved ones, but to all Ghanaians and the
whole football loving family.
How it happened
It
was a wet Wednesday evening in the Ghanaian capital Accra. The 2 biggest clubs
in Ghanaian football history were about to meet in another installment of their
great rivalry. The stage was set at the Accra Sports Stadium for another classic
encounter between these two old foes. Little did we know that with five minutes
to the end of proceedings, the nation’s heart will be torn into two. A tragedy
of immense proportions was to hit our beloved country. The home side Accra
Hearts of Oak scored two late goals to overturn a goal by Asante Kotoko. Disappointed
Kotoko fans started throwing plastic seats and bottles onto the pitch in
protest against alleged bad refereeing decisions. The response to this crowd
disturbance from the police was to fire tear gas into
the crowd to subdue unruly fans. Panic ensued and a resulting stampede in the
stands as spectators rushed to escape the gas. As more people pressed towards
the closed gates, while some massed on the stairs, those closest to the gates
and railings got crushed. Many died of suffocation and broken ribs. Others fell
to their death whiles trying to jump from the top of the stadium. A horrific
sight was slowly unfolding. Cars packed around the stadium was not in an organized
manner and this made it difficult to move injure persons quickly to nearby
hospitals.
Aftermath
Fans of both teams offered any help they could.
The efforts of then Kotoko Chairman Mr. Herbert Addo cannot be forgotten Bodies
of the dead and injured were taken to local hospitals by ambulances and private
cars. The 37 Military hospital recorded the most admissions. Distraught
relatives travelled to the scene of the disaster and to local hospitals to find
their loved ones.126 of them had their worst fears confirmed and 325 families
had to take injured relatives back home. They will never see or hear from their
loved ones again. The atmosphere at the hospitals cannot be recounted in words.
The Free Press reported that "the spontaneous sounds of wailing that
characterized the atmosphere sent even some of the reporters gathered there
sobbing. Such was the scene of the tragedy that, some concerned relatives and
curious onlookers started heaping insults and blame on the police for what they
described as a 'trigger happy law enforcers". It was difficult to
comprehend what had happened. The number of people injured was uncountable. Who
was to blame for this atrocity? The Kotoko fans who started throwing plastic
chairs and water bottles or the police who didn’t react well to that. Or possibly
the man who chose to lock down all the exit points in the stadium. For me, the
blame game will be futile if our perished brothers and sisters are not accorded
the enough respect they deserve. These are people who lost their lives through
no fault of theirs. An evening of football entertainment turned into the last moments
of their lives. What has happened to their beloved families ever since? Surely most
of them were the breadwinners in their homes. Some were on their way to have great
careers to help their family and country. The Accra sports stadium disaster
fund was setup to cater for bereaved families. The initial reaction to it was
overwhelming. Corporate Ghana and so many individuals made contributions. However
you ask yourself what has become of that fund now. How sustainable has it been
to help the families through this pain and agony. The Hillsborough disaster fund
has raised millions to help the families of the 96 Liverpool fans that lost
relatives as well as undertaking research into ways to help prevent a tragedy
of such proportion happening again.
Lessons
Football
in Ghana has changed ever since that fateful day. Recommendations were made by
the Sam Okudzeto Commission. Stadiums are now safer. Emergency services are now
improved. The importance of harmony and understanding at football grounds are
now not underestimated. Lessons were learnt albeit in the worst way possible. What
has become of the families is my greatest concern. We should not allow them to
bear tis grief and pain alone. Let’s stand together with them as one. That their
loss and pain is us as well.
13
years on from that day, never again should we allow the recurrence of such a shameful
and tragic incident at our stadia or anywhere. The pictures and images will be
with us. We will tell our children and grandchildren. We will tell them of our soreness.
Since you will never be forgotten, we pledge to you today that a hollowed place
in our hearts is where you will always stay.
Sometimes
God picks a flower that's still in full bloom. Sometimes the flower that is
chosen we feel He's picked too soon. We're at peace knowing in God's heavenly
garden He has placed the ones we treasure. You have changed our lives forever.
Rest in Peace. Damirifa Due.
