Jacob Nettey
Jacob Nettey, an ex-Accra Hearts of Oak captain, has stated plainly that no lessons have been learnt from the May 9 disaster which claimed over 100 lives.
Almost two decades ago, 127 lives were lost in a Hearts of Oak-Asante Kotoko midweek encounter at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Nineteen years on, the tough defender nicknamed Lasey, now a coach for Kumasi-based Shooting Stars, looks back and has concluded that what triggered the mayhem still lurks.
Speaking on GTV Sports Plus, he said, “The fact that a club recently served home ban as a result of crowd trouble is an indication that we have learnt nothing from what happened in 2001.”
As a result, he has admonished heads of the various supporters to advise their members to esteem discipline at all times during games.
He said if supporters will take into account that three results exist in football ? win, lose or draw ? and that one is settled on after every game.
“If they realise that you can lose on home grounds and win on away venue, it will change their perception about the game,” he added.
Some fans after the Hearts-Kotoko epic clash which ended 2-1 in the former’s favour expressed anger by ripping off the seats at the stadium in demonstration of their anger over the referee’s decision.
That stirred policemen on duty to fire tear gas into the stands, which resulted in a stampede which claimed many lives and has been described as the darkest sport on the country’s sports calendar.
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum