Former Asante Kotoko chairman Herbert Mensah has revealed that the May 9th Stadium Disaster had a deep impact on his players at the time.
Speaking on the anniversary of the tragedy today, Mensah said the emotional toll on the squad was heavy.
Mensah, who led Kotoko during the 2001 tragedy, reflected on the difficulty of preparing the players after the incident.
On May 9, 2001, a league match between Hearts of Oak and Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium ended in disaster when a stampede, sparked by crowd trouble and police response, led to the deaths of 126 fans.
Mensah stressed how hard it was to get the players to play again.
“It did affect the players I was lucky enough to have a strong captain Godwin Ablordey and a very good backroom staff. They were shocked because it is their friends and family both in Accra Hearts of Oak and in Kumasi,” as aired by Peace FM.
“People travel to these games all over the country now trying to lift them up for the next game it is not one person who lost his life but a recorded 126 and many people estimate it was closer to 150 people who lost their lives.
“So getting them to play again because it is a game of football it is not life and death and if this can happen on the football pitch in a football stadium then people have to wonder if it is really worth it,”
