The Minister-Designate for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has expressed deep concern over the tragic incident that occurred during a football match between Nsoatreman FC and Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC on February 2, 2025, at Nsoatre in the Bono Region.
The match, which turned deadly, resulted in the loss of a supporter’s life, prompting calls for urgent reforms in stadium security and emergency response protocols.
According to Adams, the incident is a stark reminder of the need for improved safety measures at sporting events, especially in light of Ghana’s painful history with stadium disasters.
He referenced the infamous Accra Sports Stadium tragedy of 2001, which claimed over 120 lives, and emphasised that such incidents should not be repeated.
Speaking on Point Blank, a segment on Eyewitness News, on Monday, February 3, 2025, Adams outlined the government’s plans to address the gaps in stadium security and emergency preparedness.
“No one should expect that this should continue especially for Ghana which experienced this about 24 years ago which resulted in the loss of many lives at the Accra Sports stadium. We didn’t expect that things like this would happen 24 years on. So, we don’t expect it to happen.
“As a government, we are going to review security at our stadia during matches such as this. There will be further improvement in pre-intelligence gathering to know the level of security to be provided and what will be allowed or not allowed in a particular game,” he stated.
He also highlighted the need for a thorough investigation into the incident, particularly focusing on the adequacy of emergency response measures.
“Of course, emergency responses. Was it the case that one ambulance was not enough for that match and we needed more? Or the ambulance was not strategically positioned where it could be easily accessible to persons who needed it or we didn’t have enough medics to attend to a person in the case they suffered a situation that this gentleman suffered?… all these will come up in the investigation and it will inform actions and steps that the government will take moving forward,” he stated
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service arrested former Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, along with two others, in connection with a violent clash during a football match that resulted in one death.
The other suspects, identified as Agyemang Duah Owusu and Kyeremeh Joseph, are also in police custody.
