Wednesday, May 9, 2001.
A day that scarred a generation. A day that changed lives forever.
Hearts of Oak vs Asante Kotoko – Ghana’s fiercest rivalry. A match that would end in national tragedy.
Kotoko drew first blood through Lawrence Adjei, but Hearts striker Ishmael Addo responded with a brace to seal victory for the Phobians.
Yet, joy quickly turned to horror. Cheers turned into cries. Celebration faded into chaos as over 120 fans lost their lives, and hundreds were injured.
Aziz Futa, then a young chairman of the Hearts of Oak Supporters Union, lived through the nightmare.
In a hotline documentary, ‘Scars of Hooliganism’, scheduled for Monday, June 23, 2025, Aziz recounts:
“As I was walking towards the exit, I realised that my foot was not on the floor, it was on human beings.
“I was looking at someone who said, ‘please help me,’ and [moments later], the person was gone. It was not easy!”
In this powerful JoySports documentary, Haruna Mubarak revisits football’s darkest moments to tell the untold stories and exposes how, 24 years after the May 9 Disaster, the menace of hooliganism still haunts football.
It airs Monday, 23rd June 2025, at 8:30 am on the AM Show (JoyNews) and the Super Morning Show (Joy FM).
Catch the repeat at 8:30 pm on JoyNews.
Tuesday, 24th June at 9 pm on JoyPrime.
Source: Haruna Mubarak
