Nations FC CEO Kwame Twumasi-Danquah has criticized Ghana’s football authorities for failing to fully implement safety measures recommended after the May 9, 2001, stadium disaster, following the tragic murder of Francis Yaw “Pooley” Frimpong.
Pooley, a passionate Asante Kotoko fan, was stabbed to death during violent clashes at the Nana Konamansah Park on Matchday 19, where Kotoko faced Nsoatreman FC.
Reflecting on the tragedy, Twumasi-Danquah pointed out that Ghanaian football still suffers from the same security lapses that led to the 126 deaths at the Ohene Djan Stadium 24 years ago.
He urged the football fraternity to revisit the investigative reports and ensure all recommendations are properly enforced to prevent such incidents from recurring.
“I think as a nation, I think we’ve not done exactly what the committee wanted us to do. We’ve done part of it and we’ve neglected part of it. That is my thinking. I can’t remember the exact content of the reports, but I think some of it we’ve not done.”
Stressing the need for urgent action, he called on stakeholders to re-evaluate past recommendations and apply them effectively.
“So I think we need to go back and have a second look at it and if there are some things that will be helpful for us to develop our game, I think we should quickly go back to it and start to apply them because this is something which shouldn’t happen again.”
With football hooliganism once again making headlines, Twumasi-Danquah insists that Ghana must finally take decisive action to secure match venues and protect fans.
“It’s something which shouldn’t happen again. So going forward I think we should revisit the report and see the things that we are not dealing with so that we can start to work on them.”
His remarks echo growing concerns among football fans and stakeholders, who are calling on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and security agencies to implement stricter measures and prevent further loss of life in the Ghana
