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According to the New York Times, over 100 people died in a stampede during a match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Ashanti Kotoko. Recently, a similar incident happened in South Africa. What is it with all these football hooligans? http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/10/world/10GHAN.html
___________________ Kofi Quansah Posts: 41 | From: Highland Park, Michigan, USA | Registered: Apr 2001
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Tribalism is rearing its ugly head in peaceful Ghana. The team of Accra Hearts of Oak is made up of Gas, Ewes, Fantes, other Ghanaians, and some Togolese. While the team of Kumasi Ashanti Kotoko is comprised of Ashantis, only. The soccer fans were drawn along ethnic lines in Accra that is known for its tolerance for everyone, including foreign nationals.
The Ashanti Kotoko team lost to Accra Hearts of Oak by 2 to 1. Irate Ashanti fans turned violent, including the lunching of hand missiles at flood lamps, causing thousands of dollars worth of infrastructural damage and lost lives.
Ghana should do well to nip tribalistic hooliganism at the bud. She cannot afford to degenerate to what Nigeria has become!
Well, the history of football hooliganism between Acrra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Ashanti Kotoko brewed in the 60s when the Ashantis would threaten Hearts of Oak's players like Ado Odamite, Joe Adjei, Adokwe Laye and the rest, in the event they beat Osei Kofi's led Kumasi Ashanti Kotoko. It went on and on until the 70s when Togo born Ahmed Polo's Hearts of Oak became the undisputed champions in all of Ghana's league. Polo neutralized the nightmare as he brough in his Ashanti friends into the Hearts of Oak organization.
The Ashantis are like the Yorubas who believe in "juju" and all that kind of stuff.
___________________ Kofi Quansah
Posts: 41 | From: Highland Park, Michigan, USA | Registered: Apr 2001
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It's really a shame that so many young people would be lost in one incident. I hope the Ghanians fish out those responsible for this ugly incident and have them punished appriopriately.
Why would anyone be shooting tear gas in an enclosed stadium? why should the stadium exits not have been opened?These are definitely questions the people of Ghana need to ask the Accra stadium officials.May the souls of the departed rest in peace.
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Quansah, N ye o go gwa! Dabi! I don't speak Ga, but I have some Ga, Ewe, Brong, and even Ashanti friends.
You're right in your analysis of the history of the teams' rivalry. I hope that this current govt will use this avoidable tragedy to enact enforceable laws on tribal hooliganism, considering that President Kuffuor was the Chairman of the Ashanti Kotoko team till he resigned in january of this year.
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The illinformed and reckless police force should be blamed and held accountable. May their souls rest in peace.
Posts: 199 | From: Saratoga, CA. USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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The police need to be taught a thing or two about crowd control. This disdainful treatment of human lives in Africa must stop.
My prayers are with the bereaved families.
___________________ Awo's political idea was based on the assumption that any town beyond Owo was Igbo or Hausa. Awo was not socialised; he was not a good mixer because he did not have the opportunity, which the secondary school offered. ~TOS Benson, Baba Oba of Lagos
Thousands of English soccer fans who hronged the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, England, for the FA up final Saturday observed a one-minute silence in memory of hanaian fans who died in a crowd crush in Accra on Wednesday.
"World of football unites in mourning," said a commentator fter the observance, which occurred shortly before the onset of he match between Arsenal and Liverpool.
The death of more than 120 fans at the Accra stadium, ollowing a stampede during a match between arch-rivals Accra earts of Oak and the Kumasi-based Asante Kotoko, has attracted orld-wide sympathy.
The police, who fired several canisters of tear gas into the rowd after Asante Kotoko ripped plastic chairs which they threw nto the field, have been widely blamed for the tradegy.
GHANA has started compensating relatives of victims killed in last week’s football tragedy and three families have been paid 2.5 million cedis (357 dollars) each, officials said yesterday.
The families were paid the money Tuesday. They had to furnish death certificates as well as witnesses certifying that their relatives had died in the stampede.
Greater Accra Regional minister Sheik Ibrahim Quaye handed out the money in the presence of Ghana’s chief Muslim cleric, Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu.
According to official estimates, at least 126 people died on Wednesday in a football stampede widely blamed on police overreaction. Ghanaian President John Kufuor had announced free medical treatment for the injured and stiff punishment for anybody found guilty of fuelling the stampede.
The tragedy occurred after a 2-1 victory by reigning league champions Hearts of Oak over arch-rivals Kumasi Ashanti Kotoko played at Accra’s 30,000-capacity sports stadium.
Kumasi fans threw seats and bottles on the pitch, causing police to fire large quantities of tear gas into the stands. A stampede followed, trapping spectators inside the locked stadium.
___________________ Kofi Quansah
Posts: 41 | From: Highland Park, Michigan, USA | Registered: Apr 2001
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Na wa for Africa. Ghana is even better, could you believe that the families of the Kaduna riots victims aren't gonna be compensated. Can you really beat that?
___________________ Awo's political idea was based on the assumption that any town beyond Owo was Igbo or Hausa. Awo was not socialised; he was not a good mixer because he did not have the opportunity, which the secondary school offered. ~TOS Benson, Baba Oba of Lagos Posts: 2644 | From: United Kingdom | Registered: Apr 2001
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The difference is clear Ghana is a nation hence it's concern for it's citizen's even if compensation is token, Nigeria is not.The only time there will be compesation in Nigeria is if the victims are not from the S.E. and S.S.
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This is ridiculous. They better had not paid anything at all.
___________________ "We are where we are in large part at the moment, because our self-identified leaders of thought have put us there."----Ukpabi Asika Posts: 321 | From: Athens, Ohio USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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I don't need to go back 31 years to show you the trend in Nigeria.The northerners have been compensated for their loses to OPC in Lagos and the Yoruba for their loses in Kano.
Now for all the years of Igbo killing in Northern Nigeria be it by shariaist or the locals tell me when there was compensation? Your governement also refused to compensate for the Warri riots last year.I guess now you know what I mean?
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