Mr Dickosn Kyere Duah, the Member of Parliament for Berekum West Constituency in the Bono Region has strongly condemned the emerging act of hooliganism in the nation’s football.
He has therefore urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the National Sports Authority to put in place stringent security and safety measures.
He emphasised that enhanced security at the various stadia and league playing centers, strict enforcement of disciplinary actions against violent conduct, and intensified public education on sportsmanship would stem future recurrences.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) sport at Jinijini, the constituency capital, Mr Kyere also called on parliament, the government, football authorities, security agencies, clubs, and supporters to work collectively to eradicate “barbaric acts from our game”.
He was speaking to the GNA in the wake of the unfortunate murder of the late Francis Frimpong also known as ‘Pooley’ a support of the Kumasi Asante Kotoko and other barbaric incidents reported in the nation’s premier league matches.
‘Pooley’ was stabbed to death on Sunday February 2, 2025 when the Nsoatreman FC hosted the Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC at the match 19 of the Ghana Premier League at their home grounds at the Nsoatre Professor Amoah Koromansah II stadium.
Seven suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the crime and are standing trial at the Sunyani District Court “B”,
Mr Kyere, also a football administrator extended his deepest condolences to the family of the deceased, saying “in fact no family should endure such pain over a football match”, and called on the all stakeholders to remain calm as police continued with their investigations to get to the bottom of the matter.
“Violence has no place in football, and it has no place in Ghanaian society”, he stated, I am very happy to note that the new Sports and Recreation Minister, Mr Kofi Adams has already swung into action”
“In his first day in office, he met the officials of the Football Federation to fashion out action plan to prevent future recurrences of such barbaric incidents in our stadia and I’m very confident, with Mr Adams, this canker will be dealt with once and for all”.
Mr Kyere said he was also aware of the “high-profile meeting the Inspector General of Police held with the stakeholders of the football industry which produced 33 action points for implementation to curb hooliganisms at our game centers”.
“Football is a is a sport that unites us as a people, and it is a game of passion that brings joy to millions across our nation. However, when that passion is tainted by violence, it ceases to be the beautiful game we all cherish,” the MP added.
“The events that unfolded before, during and after this match are not only despicable but a stain on the integrity of Ghanaian football and our national character,” he stated, recollecting that “this tragic loss of life is not an isolated case but part of a worrying trend of violence in our sports”.
“About 24 years ago, on May 9, 2001, as a young Sports Journalist working at the University of Education Radio station, Radio Windy Bay in Winneba I was in Accra Sports stadium to cover Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko game”.
“On that fateful day (Wednesday, May 9, 2001), Ghana recorded one of the most tragic events in its history when 127 football fans lost their lives as a result of football violence”, Mr Kyere recollected.
“In the wake in the wake of this national calamity, the then President of the former John Agyekum Kufuor constituted a commission of inquiry “Accra Sports stadium Disaster” (Instrument 2001) C.I. 34 to investigate the matter and made appropriate recommendations”.
Notwithstanding the far-reaching recommendations made to forestall future occurrences, football violence continues to plague the nation.
The legislator bemoaned, citing that “Ghanaians were left dumbfounded when one of Ghana’s top-rated female referees, Theresa Bremansu who officiated in the 2019 Women’s Special Competition between Prisons Ladies and Ampem Darkoa Ladies also was beaten to a pulp by football fans who claimed she did not add injury time when the 90 minutes elapsed”.
“Again, in 2020 a Kotoko fan, Augustine Oppong was shot in the eye when violence broke out in a game between Kotoko and Berekum Chelsea and also just two years ago, my very good friend, Mr Edmund Ackah, the General Manager of Samartex FC and other officials and players of FC Samartex were brutally assaulted in a Division One League match in Daboase against Skyy FC”, Mr Dickson lamented.