Renowned sports journalist Bright Kankam Boadu has shed light on the categorization of matches in Ghana and the security provisions made for each section.
He noted that Category A matches involve high-profile games in the country, including Black Stars games and Kotoko versus Hearts of Oak.
The 2025 Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Sports Personality of the Year indicated that for these matches, there should be 300 policemen, 60 military personnel, and six ambulances to ensure fan safety at the stadium.
“Category A refers to matches like Black Stars playing against Egypt or any other national team. Kotoko versus Hearts of Oak also falls within this category. For such matches, they require 300 policemen, 60 military personnel, and six ambulances to ensure swift reaction in case of an incident,” he explained while speaking on Pure FM.
Kankam Boadu further elaborated on Category B and C matches and their respective security requirements.
He stated that these measures were developed following the May 9, 2001, stadium disaster incident. However, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) appear not to enforce them consistently in the league.
“Category B matches refer to Kotoko or Hearts of Oak versus any other team. For these matches, they require 150 policemen and two ambulances. Category C matches involve other teams, such as King Faisal versus Nations FC.
“These measures were put in place after realizing that football was becoming chaotic. The GFA were expected to comply with these provisions when organizing league games, which were established following the May 9, 2001, incident,” he noted.
He made these comments following the chaotic incident that led to Asante Kotoko fan, Francis Yaw Frimpong well known as Pooley being stabbed to death during their match against Nsoatreman on February 2, 2025.
Watch Kankam Boadu’s remarks in the video below:
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