ACCRA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Ghana on Saturday commemorated the 19th anniversary of the Accra Sports Stadium disaster that killed 127 football fans in 2001.

In a statement to mark the day, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) said it remains committed to honoring the memory of the fallen by continuing its efforts to improve safety standards at match venues.

It appealed to all football administrators, security officers, medicals and football-loving Ghanaians to cooperate with the federation to ensure the nation doesn't experience such incidents in the game again.

"Let us constantly remind ourselves that never again should such a tragedy befall our beautiful game and our beloved nation," said the statement.

The 127 fans died on May 9, 2001, in an incident during a local Premier League match between arch-rivals Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.

The police fired tear gas into the stands in their efforts to control rioting fans, resulting in a stampede during which the fans lost their lives while attempting to escape.

Hundreds more fans were seriously injured during the incident, which has been called Africa's worst-ever stadium disaster. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)