Hearts to play Kotoko in May 9 commemorative match

Accra, May 5, GNA - The nation's two most glamorous clubs, Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko will faceoff in the May 9 commemorative match at the Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra on Sunday, May 9.

The match is being held for the first time since a Government White Paper endorsed the recommendations of the Okudzeto Commission and in honour of the 126 fans who lost their lives during a Premier League match between the nation's most successful clubs nine years ago at the then Accra Sports Stadium.


Nii Nortey Dua, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports announced at a press conference on Wednesday that the two clubs have agreed to take part in the commemorative match after weeks of intense discussions. He explained that the match will serve as the climax of a tall list of activities lined up to mark the ninth anniversary of the unfortunate incident that befell Ghana football.


Amongst the activities is a symposium on Friday, May 7 at the Ohene Djan Stadium that will deliberate on safety and security at the various stadia to prevent future occurrences.


The Deputy Minister added that there will be street procession on the eve of the match (Saturday, May 8) from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle through some principal streets of Accra to terminate at the May 9 monument at the forecourt of the Ohene Djan Stadium.

Nii Nortey Dua observed that May 9 has become synonymous with tragedy and that the time has come to redeem the positive image of sports through fair play, sportsmanship and brotherliness.


The Deputy Minister however assured of adequate security during the match and urged fans to turn up in their numbers to support a worthy cause. He alluded to the birth of the tragic incident as a result of "bad judgement" and intolerance on part of football fans, adding that his outfit has tasked the National Sports Council to introduce safety measures at the various national stadiums.


The match-day events include a curtain raiser involving the supporter groups of the two clubs as part of efforts towards fostering peace and unity between the two bodies. The rates for the match are 1 Ghana Cedi for the Orange, Green and Blue Stands, and 2 Ghana cedis for the VIP area.