Fans Say Nothing Will Deter Them From Stadium

The tragedy that occured at Accra Sports Stadium last week when 127 spectators died in a stampede will haunt many people for a long time, but soccer fans say they would not keep from watching matches at the stadium.

Many fans of Accra Hearts of Oak told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that they blamed the police for unprofessional behaviour that resulted in the disaster.


Angry youth at Nima, a slum in Accra where many of the victims came from, openly admitted that they would attack any policeman who went to their communities.


They also stated their preference for the military police to control riots.


Some fans blamed officials of Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko for not allowing the match to be telecast.


"I wanted to watch the match on TV but was told it would not be telecast live, so I was forced to go to the stadium," Alhaji Sasana of Sabon Zongo told GNA. Now I am being haunted by what has happened."

Iddriss Adams, a driver and resident of Nima who lost five friends, said he would still go to the stadium no matter what happens.


"I am staunch Hearts of Oak fan, our slogan is 'never say die till the bones are rotten' and that is what I stand for, whatever comes my way is my destiny."


He, however, suggested that Military Police should be included in maintaining security to make the work of the police easier.


Adams said they would no longer entertain tear gas at the stadium and urged a further probe into the administration of football in the country and rehabilitation of the stadium.


"I consider the work done shoddy since the chairs were easily pulled off by irate fans."

For 21-year-old Ali Mohammed watching future matches at the stadium would be like going to war. He said he would be ready at any time with weapons on his body to attack any policeman.


But electronic technician David Foley, 36, suggested that Kotoko and Hearts clubs be banned from league matches for two years.


Meanwhile, Ghana Football Association chairman, Alhaji A. Y. Ibrahim, considers it too early to apportion blame.


He has appealed to Ghanaians to forget the incident quickly and not to allow it to stop them from watching football.


To the contrary, Hearts chief executive Harry Zakkour said match attendance would be affected because "it will take a long time for people to forget this tragedy".