Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars, delivered an exceptional performance on March 21, 2025, defeating Chad by five goals without conceding. This remarkable achievement deserves celebration, as such decisive victories have become increasingly rare for the team.
The last time the Black Stars scored 5 goals in any match was in October 2020 in a friendly win against Qatar. For competitive matches with 5+ goals, we must look back to 2017 when Ghana defeated Congo at their own backyard by 5-1 in a World Cup qualifier for Russia 2018. Even more rare, the last time Ghana scored 5 goals at home without conceding was in June 2017 against Ethiopia in an AFCON qualifier.
The atmosphere at the Accra Sports Stadium was electric—the excitement contagious. The Mexican wave, the DJ’s energy, and the spontaneous illumination from thousands of mobile phone flashlights created a beautiful scene. Every Ghanaian felt joy, particularly meaningful after recent disappointments in the last three international breaks where the team played six games without a single win and failed to qualify for the AFCON in Morocco for the first time in 20 years.
Yet this jubilant narrative could have been dramatically different due to serious organizational failures. Poor planning affected everything from ticket pricing and sales points to security demarcations and enforcement, all compounded by fan misbehavior.
The chaos began outside the stadium, where spectators without tickets gathered hoping for any opportunity to gain entry. This prevented legitimate ticket holders from entering without stress. The situation deteriorated quickly—the VIP entrance closed before the match even began, forcing more people toward the main gate.
The results were predictable and dangerous. Desperate fans broke through the large gate near the scoreboard. At the main gate, people collapsed in the crush, some suffered broken legs, and many sustained various injuries in the ensuing stampede.
What I witnessed in the media center was shocking—a space designated for journalists was completely overrun by spectators. There was literally no room to move, with approximately twice the safety capacity squeezed inside.
The VIP sections faced similar dangerous overcrowding.
The decision to sell tickets for as little as 10 cedis proved disastrous. “This is the Black Stars, for Christ’s sake!” Industry wisdom suggests that sometimes higher ticket prices serve as a security measure, particularly when the match isn’t broadcast on free-to-air television and falls on a Friday when public interest peaks.
Ghana had previously made progress with e-tickets, but inexplicably regressed to printed tickets, enabling widespread “ticket racketeering.” Tickets officially priced at 100 cedis for lower VIP were resold for 200 cedis, while upper VIP tickets jumped from 150 to 300 cedis.
The late release of tickets and limited sale points—Stadium, Happy FM, and a few other Accra locations—created additional problems. Fans from outlying areas like Tema had to travel to Accra during working hours just to purchase tickets and then return for the match.
These practices directly violated Chapter 4 of CAF Regulation on Safety and Security. Article 15/3 clearly states: “There shall be no tickets sales within and around the stadium on match day. Tickets sale shall be strictly prohibited to be sold around the stadium vicinity on match day.”
Despite Article 15/2 of CAF regulations stipulating that no spectator should be granted access without a ticket, the upper terrace of the popular stand—closed due to safety concerns—was occupied by spectators who broke in after 27 minutes of play. Alarmingly, this wasn’t an isolated incident but had happened during previous matches against Sudan in Accra and in Kumasi as well.
CAF’s Article 13/1 emphasizes: “Understanding the basics of assessing the maximum safe capacity of the stadium is crucial for establishing safe and secured environment. Overcrowded stadium continue to contribute to serious injuries and fatalities, which CAF finds unacceptable.”
Having covered major international tournaments including the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul and AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, I’ve witnessed how seamlessly these events can be organized. In many countries I’ve visited, you cannot even access the road leading to the stadium without a ticket, let alone reach the gates. While our stadiums’ central urban locations present challenges, this only increases the need for smarter coordination strategies.
The police and security services providing safety at our matches require specialized training in managing sporting events. Their plans may look good on paper but consistently fail under real-world pressure. During Friday’s match, security personnel appeared helpless, overwhelmed, and unable to prevent unauthorized stadium access. A large police presence alone clearly isn’t sufficient.
Even more troubling is the normalization of pitch invasions. In the last four international matches, we’ve seen three successful invasions and one attempted invasion. Each incident costs the Ghana Football Association a 10,000 dollar fine from CAF—money that could be better invested in football development.
Having an overcrowded stadium—the kind of scenes celebrated in the 1980s and 1990s—is no longer acceptable. These conditions pose serious threats to spectator safety, and negative experiences discourage legitimate fans from attending future matches.
The organizational failures witnessed on Friday have occurred repeatedly, yet we seem incapable of learning from past mistakes. While not intending to predict doom, it’s clear that we’ve merely postponed disaster—international matches in Accra or Kumasi have become ticking time bombs.
The path forward requires comprehensive reform: modernized ticketing systems, proper pricing strategies, specialized security training, strict access controls, and detailed emergency response plans. Without these changes, Ghana risks not just further CAF sanctions, but potentially a tragic stadium disaster that could forever mar our football legacy.
Our recent victory should serve not just as a moment of celebration but as a final warning to address these systemic failures before it’s too late. Peace out.
By Ohene Bampoe Brenya, host, Happy Sports and Head of Sports at Happy FM
