Offinso: 6 young footballers dead in accident

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has confirmed the death of six young footballers in an accident at Offinso, near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

The GFA in a statement said the juvenile players aged between 12-15years were headed to Offinso having undergone their District Colts football registration exercise at Afrancho when the vehicle they were travelling on, submerged in the Offin River.

The GFA in a statement said it had dispatched a team to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi to visit the other footballers who survived the accident.

The contingent is made up of Ashanti Regional Football Association Chairman, Osei Tutu Agyemang, Executive Council Members, Frederick Acheampong, Madam Habiba Attah Forson and NJC member Aminu Abdulahi, will visit the injured and console the bereaved families and send a report to the headquarters in Accra for further action.

"The GFA wishes to express our deepest condolences to the family of the eight young footballers who passed away after the car they were travelling on, submerged," the statement said.

"We are informed that the players and their handlers were headed to Offinso having undergone their District Colts football registration exercise at Afrancho.

"We are deeply saddened by the development and wish to express our condolences to the family of the deceased and a speedy recovery to the rest of the team who sustained various degrees of injuries during the accident".

A separate statement by the Ministry of Youth and Sports indicates that the deceased are members of the Africa Vision Soccer Academy.

Commiserating with the families of the deceased, the Ministry also assured that, "appropriate measures would be taken to avert the future occurrence" of such an accident.

Read the entire GFA statement below;

PRESS STATEMENT ON OFFINSO ACCIDENT

The leadership of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), and the National Juvenile Committee (NJC) have learnt of the passing of six juvenile football players on Saturday, September 19, 2020, at Offinso, near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

The GFA wishes to express our deepest condolences to the family of the six young footballers who passed away after the car they were travelling on, submerged.

We are informed that the players and their handlers were headed to Offinso having undergone their District Colts football registration exercise at Afrancho.

The GFA and the NJC have dispatched a team to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi to visit the accident victims.

The contingent, made up of Ashanti Regional Football Association Chairman, Osei Tutu Agyemang, Executive Council Members, Frederick Acheampong, Madam Habiba Attah Forson and NJC member Aminu Abdulahi, will visit the injured and console the bereaved families and send a report to the headquarters in Accra for further action.

We are deeply saddened by the development and wish to express our condolences to the family of the deceased and a speedy recovery to the rest of the team who sustained various degrees of injuries during the accident.

In these trying times, we stand shoulder to shoulder with all the bereaved families, those injured and those going through psychological stress.

Our thoughts are with the family of the departed and the victims. May their souls Rest In Peace.

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