Accra: Emmanuel Clottey has spent much of his young life trying to survive in a world of storms and tragedies. At 26, he has taken menial jobs, relied on friends for support and, at times, struggled simply to make ends meet. But behind his daily battles lies a deeper wound: the loss of a father he never truly knew, taken away by football in one of Ghana's darkest sporting days. Clottey lost his father, Atu Quaye Clottey, in the May 9, 2001, Accra Sports Stadium disaster, the deadliest stadium tragedy on the African continent, which claimed 127 lives. Emmanuel was only a year old at the time.
According to Ghana News Agency, Emmanuel said, 'I believe if my father was alive, things would have been different.' For years, the tragedy existed in Emmanuel's life only as silence. It was not until he was about 10 years old that the truth found him, not through his family, but through friends during a football match in his community. He returned home in tears and confronted his mother. That was the day the story he had been shielded from was finally revealed.
On May 9, 2001, Ghana's football rivals Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko were locked in a tense league match at the Accra Sports Stadium. After a goal gave Hearts of Oak a 2-1 lead late in the game, crowd trouble erupted, leading police to fire tear gas into the stands. The action was later termed the principal cause of the disaster by the Sam Okudzeto Commission of Inquiry. There was panic as fans tried to find their way out of the stadium. Overcrowding and poor crowd control and a sealed gate, turned the stadium into a death trap. By the end of the night, 127 football fans had lost their lives, including Emmanuel's father, who had gone to the stadium simply to watch the game he loved but never came back home.
From the moment he learnt the truth, Emmanuel said he carried pain but found purpose in pursuing a career in football, especially after his inability to enter university after completing secondary school. 'After knowing about my father's death, I decided to honour my father by becoming one of the best footballers in the country,' Emmanuel said. But for many young talented footballers in Ghana, pursuing a career in football can be an ordeal, with few making it professionally. Emmanuel excelled at the game during his youth, earning recognition as a promising talent. He played colts football for Mighty Victory and attended several trials with lower-division clubs.
As opportunities faded, Emmanuel said he turned to boxing, sparring with professional fighters like John Laryea, popularly known as 'Expensive Boxer,' who encouraged him to pursue a career in the ring. Once again, circumstances stood in his way and Emmanuel could not realise his dream in the ring. For Emmanuel Clottey, remembrance is personal. 'I still love the game,' he said. 'But every time I enter the Accra Sports Stadium, I remember what it cost my family.' Today, Emmanuel says he has largely given up on a professional sports career. For years, he has attempted to enlist in Ghana's security services, but without success.
Sixty-year-old Mr Raphael Okoo Parker is one of the lucky ones. A passionate Hearts of Oak supporter, he survived the May 9 disaster and still remembers the day vividly. 'It was a Wednesday, and it was raining,' he recalled in an interview with the Ghana News Agency. 'I was confident Hearts would beat Kotoko. I sneaked out of work just to watch the match.' Mr Parker said entering the stadium that day was difficult. The stands were packed well before kickoff. 'When the tear gas was fired, people panicked,' he said. 'Breathing was hard, but I stayed where I was and that decision might have saved my life.'
At the 25th anniversary commemoration of the disaster, Kofi Adams, Ghana's Minister of Sports and Recreation, urged football supporters across the country to reject violence. He praised football stakeholders for sustaining the annual remembrance and said it remained vital for educating younger fans who were not alive at the time. Mr Prosper Harrison Addo, the General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association, said the anniversary was a reminder to strengthen discipline, safety and fair play across the game. 'Twenty-five years on, we honour the memory of our fallen football faithful whose passion for the game led them to an unexpected end,' Mr Addo said. For many Ghanaian football fans, the statue at the entrance of the Accra Sports Stadium is a reminder of the tragedy grief football can bring, despite the joy and laughter it gives.