GFA suspends colts screening exercise after River Offin accident

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has suspended its ongoing Colts football registration exercise in the Ashanti Region.

This was disclosed by the nation’s football governing body on Sunday.

The suspension which takes immediate effect is in response to an accident that claimed the lives of eight young men on Saturday, September 19, 2020.

The victims were budding footballers who were returning from a registration exercise at Afrancho when a vehicle they were traveling in plunged into the River Offin.

Four of the victims are in critical condition and are receiving treatment at the emergency unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

So far 10 of the victims who were admitted at separate hospitals at Namong and Offinso have been treated and discharged, officials told Adwoaadubianews.com.

Five out of six of the victims have so far been identified by their relatives, officials added.

GFA delegation visit victims

Officials of the GFA as well as relatives of the victims were at the various health facilities to check on them. The team’s visit was to get first-hand information about the incident and also commiserate with the grief-stricken family.

An Executive Member of the GFA Frederick Acheampong, who led the delegation, described the incident as a terrible loss.

“The programme is suspended now because they were undergoing the screening on a district basis. Because of what has happened, we’ve spoken to the Regional Football Association executives and they have suspended the exercise”, said Acheampong during an interview with Adwoaadubianews.com.

“We have visited the families and commiserated with them and so from here we will provide a detailed report to the Ghana Football Association for the next line of action”, he added.