May 9 Disaster: The sad story of how a famous newspaper seller died

Former Asante Kotoko U-20 player, Osei Boateng, has narrated an emotional story of how a famous newspaper seller, Alhaji lost his life during the May 9th disaster in 2001.

He said he witnessed scary things on the night including then Asante Kotoko chairman Herbert Mensah carrying injured people to escape the scene.

Boateng, in an interview with KFM TV, said while watching Herbert Mensah help save some lives, he saw Alhaji lying helpless on the floor but he could not help due to people rushing out from the direction.

"I left there about 10 to 11 pm because I was witnessing the time our Chairman Herbert Mensah was lifting people. He could lift two people at a time and put them in a car. Where I was I watching and I saw somebody who had died but I knew the person. He was a newspaper seller at Cirle, Alhaji. He was a Kotoko fan I knew him very well. I saw him on the ground struggling to breathe but I couldn't go because of the people rushing out. I saw scart things that day," he said.

The May 9 disaster is widely regarded as the darkest day in Ghana Football. 126 football fans lost their lives at the Accra Sports Stadium during a match between two fierce rivals Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.

Hearts of Oak scored two late goals to come back from a goal down to lead 2-1. Displeased Kotoko fans who were unhappy with officiating, started to throw plastics and the seats on the field.

The police in their attempts to control the crowd fired tear gas into the crowd, which led to many dying due to Compressive asphyxia.

Today marks 22 years since the incident.


Watch Osei Boatengs interview below




EE/KPE