Africa's worst stadium disaster

Summary

Witness History – Africa's Worst Stadium Disaster

Host: Jen Dale
Guest/Eyewitness: Herbert Mensah (then-chairman of Asante Kotoko)
Date of Event: May 9, 2001
Episode Date: May 7, 2026
Duration: ~9 minutes

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Episode Overview

This episode of Witness History takes listeners back 25 years to the night of May 9, 2001, when tragedy struck at Ghana’s Accra Sports Stadium during a highly anticipated football derby. In what became Africa's worst stadium disaster, around 130 lives were lost in a stampede following police actions during crowd unrest. Through the eyes and experience of Herbert Mensah, then-chairman of Asante Kotoko, listeners witness the harrowing sequence of events and the profound aftermath that shaped Ghanaian sporting history and its approach to stadium safety.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: A Night of High Stakes

• Match Details: Hearts of Oak vs. Asante Kotoko, Ghana Premier League, attended by fans nationwide and from neighboring countries.
• Unusual Circumstances: Light rain and heightened anticipation contributed to an exceptionally packed stadium.
• Atmosphere:
  • [01:11] Herbert Mensah: “We were fully aware that the whole nation was watching with great interest... The anticipation was huge. It was raining lightly, which was a little uncharacteristic. We knew the stadium would be more than packed.”
  • [01:36] “VIP area and there was a huge buzz. Rival fans teasing one another... It was huge.”

The Match Turns Tragic

• Game Progression: Asante Kotoko leading, Hearts of Oak equalize, and then score a late winning goal.
• Fan Reaction: Angered by the officiating, Asante Kotoko supporters begin throwing chairs onto the field, but crucially, there was no violence between rival fans according to Mensah.
  • [02:12] Herbert Mensah: “The supporters were up in arms about the subjectiveness of the officiating… They weren’t fighting amongst themselves.”

Police Overreaction and Disaster

• Crowd Control Failure: Police respond by firing tear gas into the stands, causing panic and chaos.
  • [02:53] Narrator: “Police fired tear gas into the stands, sparking a stampede. With access to the pitch fenced off, many of the dead either suffocated or were crushed to death.”

Frantic Rescue Efforts

• First Response: Herbert Mensah is called from the VIP area as the tragedy unfolds; he witnesses bodies piled and entangled, unable to escape.
  • [03:36] Herbert Mensah: “There was just a melee of bodies entangled, trying to escape the tear gas, couldn’t get out. Many had fallen from a tremendous height… It was just horrific, absolutely horrific.”
• Personal Account: Mensah describes physically carrying bodies, unsure if they were alive or dead, and the superhuman effort made by everyone present.
  • [04:56] Herbert Mensah: "As you pick them up, they say, 'Chairman, Chairman, we're alive, leave us, go and help others.'... You don't feel pain, you don't feel strain on muscle, you’re just carrying bodies, obviously with tears in our eyes whilst we're doing it."

The Aftermath: Mourning and Reflection

• Immediate Impact: National mourning declared; Herbert visits hospitals and the morgue, humbled by the resilience of survivors.
  • [05:37] Herbert Mensah: “So many of them were having sympathy for me—made no sense... Chairman, it'll be okay. Chairman, don't give up on us.”
• Legacy of Loss: Mensah notes the real death toll might have been higher, as some victims were unofficial attendees.
  • [06:42] "Mothers who did not know their kids had gone to the stadium... wives who didn't know their husbands had left to come to the big city to watch a football match. And they lose their lives simply because of a football match. That makes no sense."

Commemoration and Change

• May 9 Foundation: Herbert establishes a charity for bereaved families, providing ongoing support and education.
  • [07:12] “On and around May 9, we come together, break bread... helped all of the families with school fees, medical bills, taking care of problems.”
• Reforms: National inquiry blames excessive police force and calls for changes in crowd control, stadium architecture, behavior of fans and referees.
  • [07:56] Recommendations include better gates, rapid-response teams, and improved stadium designs.
  • [08:18] Herbert Mensah: “We rebuilt stadiums, changed access points. You’ll see that the main stadiums have changed, greater investment in stadiums.”

The Human Story Endures

• Lasting Impact:
  • [08:40] Herbert Mensah: “As I grabbed a trolley to pull, there was somebody working who just ran up to me and said, ‘Look, thank you… I was there… I saw what you did.’ So you’re touched. We’ve made sure that nobody forgets May 9..."
  • “I thank God for the lives of those who survived, because it's not about me, it's about them. And I'm humbled all the time. It's made me a better person, and I'm hoping that it's made others the same.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There was just a melee of bodies entangled, trying to escape the tear gas... It was just horrific, absolutely horrific.”
  — Herbert Mensah [03:36]

• “As you pick them up, they say, ‘Chairman, Chairman, we’re alive, leave us, go and help others.’… You just carrying bodies, obviously with tears in our eyes whilst we're doing it.”
  — Herbert Mensah [04:56]

• “It’s always the ordinary person who suffers, isn’t it?”
  — Herbert Mensah [05:37]

• “So I then embarked on a program... Every year since then, on and around May 9, we come together, break bread... helped all of the families with school fees, medical bills, taking care of problems.”
  — Herbert Mensah [07:12]

• “We've made sure that nobody forgets May 9. Nobody in Ghana forgets May 9. I thank God for the lives of those who survived, because it's not about me, it’s about them. And I'm humbled all the time. It's made me a better person.”
  — Herbert Mensah [08:40]

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Important Timestamps

• [00:05] Introduction and theme setup
• [01:11] Setting the scene: anticipation before the match
• [02:12] Description of the post-match unrest and escalation
• [02:53] Police fire tear gas; start of tragedy
• [03:36] Herbert Mensah’s personal rescue experience
• [04:56] Eyewitness accounts of resilience and grief
• [07:12] Founding of the May 9 Foundation
• [07:56] Reforms and recommendations for stadium safety
• [08:40] The tragedy’s long-lasting impact on Ghanaian society

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Lasting Messages

This episode is a powerful tribute both to the victims and survivors of Africa’s worst stadium disaster and to the resilience of those affected. Herbert Mensah’s testimony personalizes the tragedy and spotlights communal healing, subsequent reforms, and the importance of not forgetting the past so that such disasters may never be repeated.

Transcript

[Jen Dale]

Hello. Welcome to Witness History with me, Jen Dale. Now, if this is one of your favourite podcasts already, feel free to skip ahead a little bit. But if you're listening for the very first time, welcome. We look at a moment in history told by the people who were there. We use Incredible archive and hear amazing stories. New nine minute episodes drop every weekday. So if that sounds like your thing, hit subscribe wherever you get your BBC podcasts and turn on your notifications so you never miss an episode. But for now, let's get to the story. I'm taking you back 25 years to Africa's worst stadium disaster. And just to warn you, it contains distressing details. In Ghana, about 130 people have been killed in a stampede at a football stadium. Most of the victims were crushed as police fired tear gas after unrest during a match in Accra between the country's two top teams. It's May 9, 2001 and at the Accra Sports Stadium in Ghana's capital city, Hearts of Oak are preparing to take on a santicotego. It's a big evening derby clash in Ghana's Premier League.

[Herbert Mensah]

We were fully aware that the whole nation was watching with great interest, especially where the fortunes of the two clubs were at the time. I'd been brought in to rebuild this extraordinary club. The momentum was on our side. The anticipation was huge. It was raining lightly, which was a little uncharacteristic. We knew the stadium would be more than packed.

[Jen Dale]

Koteco chairman Herbert Mensah is in the

[Herbert Mensah]

VIP area and there was a huge buzz. Rival fans teasing one another and people had left in this match, even from neighboring countries to come across to come and watch the match. It was huge.

[Jen Dale]

Asante Coatico are the visiting team and are leading 1 nil. Towards the end of the game. Hearts of Oak equalize.

[Narrator]

And then it was a late winning goal from the home team, Hearts of Oak, which brought rival fans to their feet in the Accra stadium and set the scene for the tragedy that followed. Angry fans of the visiting team, Asante Kotoko, began throwing seats onto the pitch.

[Herbert Mensah]

It was marked with controversy, not so much the result. The supporters were up in arms about the subjectiveness of the officiating triggered outrage amongst segments of the supporters. And so at the end of it, the supporters had had enough. They weren't fighting amongst themselves. They'd pulled some chairs, the plastic chairs, throw them down, which was wrong. And you then had a chain of events with some members of the law establishment overreacting. And that's what brought the Commotion. But there was no fighting between the rival fans. That's not what it was.

[Narrator]

Police fired tear gas into the stands, sparking a stampede. With access to the pitch fenced off, many of the dead either suffocated or were crushed to death.

[Herbert Mensah]

And it was at that point that I was then called from where I was sitting, with supporters coming and running and shouting, chairman, Chairman, people are dying. It was raining and it was the dirt from the rain and, and the confusion all around and some of them looking for loved ones and not quite sure what to do.

[Jen Dale]

Herbert gets down from the VIP area and rushes the 50 meters to the away stand. And what he sees there is truly harrowing.

[Herbert Mensah]

There was just a melee of bodies entangled, trying to escape. The tear gas couldn't get out. Many had fallen from a tremendous height onto the concrete floor and others were just tangled. It was just horrific, absolutely horrific. At that point, it was madness because when I saw that you couldn't get through to the bodies, you literally run up 5 meters of steps, then across 20, 30 meters. And then I run down to the ground to find that that gate was locked. I then run back across upstairs the same route in and. And then literally started picking any body I could find. Firemen's lift, body on shoulder, up, across, down, and then laid the body, shouting all the time for people to help. You had the shrieks of death and then you had people crying. Just didn't know what to do. We just started carrying bodies with superhuman strength. You don't feel pain, you don't feel strain on muscle, you just carrying bodies, obviously with tears in our eyes whilst we're doing it.

[Jen Dale]

With blood on his shirt, Herbert goes back and forth, ferrying around 30 bodies from the stand to where cars and pickups are waiting to take them to hospital.

[Herbert Mensah]

And some of them, as you pick them up, they say, chairman, Chairman, we're alive, leave us, go and help others. We just can't move. We didn't have a choice. You either get in there to save people or you just go away and read it on the news. And then it's you and your conscience. But what do you do? You see somebody in pain or in suffering, you have to help. I was screaming my head off. Come and help. Come on, get up. Come and help.

[Narrator]

The injured had to be carried from the stadium. Hospitals quickly filled up with the casualties as an inquiry began into Ghana's worst ever sporting disaster.

[Jen Dale]

Herbert goes to the main military hospital to see those being treated.

[Herbert Mensah]

And the ridiculousness of it is that so many of them were Having sympathy for me made no sense. They're the ones who had gone through this ordeal. And they were saying, chairman, it'll be okay. Chairman, don't give up on us. Chairman, it'll be okay. And they were bandaged. You know, you're just so humbled and made so little by people who have suffered and are suffering. And then we went from there into the morgue of where there were 96 bodies laid down. But you just realize how pointless it was. And, you know, it's always the ordinary person who suffers, isn't it? And I called the king and I said to his Majesty, because the football club was his. I just said, this is what has happened. He said he's seeing it on the news. And he just said, look, be strong.

[Jen Dale]

There are three days of national mourning. A statue's later erected, and the plinth states it's in remembrance of the 127 people who lost their lives. But Herbert says that number may be higher, as some people weren't officially at the game.

[Herbert Mensah]

We followed the families and we've seen the survivors, the mothers who did not know that their kids had gone to the stadium, the wives who didn't know that their husbands had left to come to the big city to watch a football match. And they lose their lives simply because of a football match. That makes no sense. That makes no sense at all.

[Jen Dale]

Herbert sets up a charity to help bereaved families, the May 9 foundation.

[Herbert Mensah]

So I then embarked on a program of, you can't visit everybody, but visiting huge numbers of the families. And every year since then, on and around May 9, we come together, break bread, spare time during the year, we've helped a lot of them, helped all of the families with school fees, medical bills, taking care of problems.

[Narrator]

Following last month's tragedy in South Africa in which 43 football fans died, accusing fingers are again being pointed at crowd control and safety standards in Africa's stadiums.

[Herbert Mensah]

I went back a few days after. It was terrible. There was still blood on the walls and on the floor. You know, the nations clearly didn't know what to do.

[Jen Dale]

A commission of inquiry set up after the tragedy blamed the police for an excessive use of force. The report called for improvement in the conduct of referees and good behaviour from soccer fans during league matches. It also made recommendations about stadium security, improvements to gates at the ground, and the creation of nationwide rapid response teams in Ghana.

[Herbert Mensah]

We rebuilt stadiums, changed access points. You'll see that the main stadiums have changed, greater investment in stadiums. And I've always keep a quiet eye out for the way stadias are being

[Jen Dale]

constructed decades later, the events of May 9 are far from forgotten. Even while shopping on a recent trip

[Herbert Mensah]

to England, and as I grabbed a trolley to pull, there was somebody working who just ran up to me and said, look, thank you. And I said, what are you talking about? And he said, I was there. I said, where? He said, May 9th. And I saw what you did. So you're touched. We've made sure that nobody forgets May 9. Nobody in Ghana forgets May 9. I thank God for the lives of those who survived, because it's not about me, it's about them. And I'm humbled all the time. It's made me a better person, and I'm hoping that it's made others the same.

[Jen Dale]

Herbert Mansur is now president of Rugby Africa. He was speaking to me. Jen Dale for Witness History. I know that episode was a hard listen, so if you want something a bit different, we have thousands of episodes in our back catalogue. We've got collections on music, animals and childhood. But before you go, why not leave us a review and hit subscribe? Thanks for listening. A moment in time captured by what they heard.

[Herbert Mensah]

I heard some people making phone calls. Okay, which Runway would you like at Teterborough?

[Jen Dale]

We're gonna begin at what they saw.

[Herbert Mensah]

I put my head down. I saw the movie of my life. Started going through my head, what they smelt. I still remember the smell of the fresh fish.

[Jen Dale]

And I completely lost my appetite. Moments captured which last for a lifetime.

[Herbert Mensah]

Scientists have made the atomic bomb that sort of flash set on fire the birds, and they all fell down without their feathers on the way was clear for Hitler to realize all his demonic plans.

[Jen Dale]

Stories from people with fertility of events that have shaped our world.

[Herbert Mensah]

At the end, Kissinger called me into his office and he said, you did a good job. I left the office with tears in my eyes. She called me and told me I'm doing Studio 54. She had already become a star in Paris. She came back a superstar.

[Jen Dale]

Listen now, search for Witness History wherever you get your BBC podcasts.