How ice cream saved lives during the May 9 Accra sports stadium disaster

• Ghana’s May 9 stadium disaster remains one of Africa’s deadliest football tragedies.

• Abdul Aziz Haruna Futa survived the chaos but lost 35 friends that day.

• A sachet of yogurt ice cream unexpectedly helped save some trapped fans

Ghana had never witnessed a tragedy on such a devastating scale. By the end of that heartbreaking day, countless football fans returned home grieving the loss of friends, relatives, and fellow supporters.

Among the survivors was football administrator Abdul Aziz Haruna Futa, who painfully recalled the horrifying events years later during an emotional television interview.

Fighting back tears, he revealed that he lost 35 friends in the disaster and only survived through what he described as sheer luck and divine intervention.

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Even 25 years later, the memories remained too painful to relive, forcing TV hosts to console him as he narrated the nation’s darkest moment in football history.

Amidst the panic, stampede, and chaos inside the stadium, survival came from the most unexpected source for some trapped supporters – not from medics or emergency responders, but from a sachet of yoghurt ice cream.

As unbelievable as it sounded, the ice cream became a lifeline for some fans struggling to survive during those terrifying moments when death seemed unavoidable. Mandela Anuvabe and Pulse Sports journalist Christopher Sededzi Kwame detailed the event here.

It was supposed to be a thrilling match between Ghana’s top two football clubs, Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, at the Accra Sports Stadium on May 9, 2001. 

With thousands of fans filling the stands, emotions ran high on the rainy day as Hearts of Oak came from behind to win 2–1 with two late goals. Lawrence Adjei opened the scoring for the Porcupine Warriors before two late strikes from deadly striker Ishmael Addo helped the Phobians edge past their rivals. 

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However, in the end, the victory didn’t matter. One hundred and twenty-seven (127) souls drew their last breath when chaos rocked the stands, leading to what is now the darkest day in Ghana’s football history and remains the worst stadium tragedy across Africa. 

Disappointed Kotoko supporters claimed the assistant referee had raised his flag for an infringement leading to the goal.

However, the referee on the day Wilson Sey said he gave an advantage because the supposed foul was on Hearts of Oak’s attacking player, who was Emmanuel Osei Kuffour.

The visiting fans did not accept this decision in good faith, and they began throwing plastic seats and bottles onto the pitch. Tensions heightened, and the situation grew into full-fledged chaos. 

To control the situation, the police fired tear gas into the stands. This caused panic among the crowd. Fans scrambled to escape the choking fumes, but many of the stadium gates were locked. With fewer exits than originally designed, the rash quickly turned into a deadly stampede. 

Trapped in this grisly stampede was Abdulai Ibrahim Illiasu, alias Zinga – a familiar name within the famous Phobian ultras, Chapter O. 

A goosebumped Zinga narrated this chilling experience to Sporty FM journalist Emmanuel Ayamga. Recounting the circumstances leading to the high-stakes match and the unfortunate preceding events, he shared: 

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Therefore, tempers flared when Ishmael Addo stuck that last dagger through Kotoko hearts  to win the game for Hearts. 

Some unhappy away fans, according to Zinga, began breaking the plastic seats and flying them onto the pitch. The police issued a warning for them to stop, but that fell on deaf ears, and the police responded by firing tear gas into the irate supporters. 

They dispersed and ran towards the Chapter O stand. When they got there, Zinga said they pleaded with the police to stop firing, but they didn’t listen. What followed was a scene only seen in movies. The staunch Phobian continued: 

In the absence of water in the stands, he believes strongly that the yogurt ice cream was what saved his life, and that of other fans, including a female on the day.

Remember Aziz? Just like Zinga, he maintains it was a miracle and God’s grace that he’s still alive. But did not forget to give credit to the unlikely hero on that rainy day. The yogurt ice cream. 

A misty-eyed Aziz shared: 

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It is understood that the probiotics in yoghurt can help restore balance to your digestive system, which may be upset by tear gas exposure. 

For the many who were unlucky and far away from this unusual lifesaving hero on the day, they perished. Aziz and others who rushed to find an exit, fell on each other and screams for help grew louder.  

He saw a familiar face in the piled-up bodies but as he reached for help, the friend gave up the ghost. 

Bodies, both conscious and unconscious, flooded the 37 Military Hospital and Ridge Hospital in Accra. Families thronged these hospitals and other nearby clinics in search of their loved ones. 

This memory has scarred many football fans affected both directly and indirectly by thez, and together with other factors, matchday attendance has consistently taken a nosedive.