Four of the eight African Vision Soccer Academy players, who perished in a lorry accident a week ago, were yesterday interred after an emotional funeral service at Offinso, in the Ashanti Region.
Early last week, four of the players, who were Moslems, were buried according to Islamic traditions.
Yesterday’s solemn funeral was attended by a large crowd including the Youth and Sports Minister, Isaac Asiamah, National Sports Authority boss Professor Peter Twumasi, members of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), delegation from the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) and many others from the traditional and football community.
Mourners could not hold back their tears as hordes of tributes poured in for the deceased football stars.
The players died after the mini-van carrying them after a football registration exercise, veered into River Offin, leaving several injured with six dying at the spot. Two of the players later passed on at the St. Patrick Catholic Hospital where some of the injured were rushed.
Last week, the injured players – aged between 12 and 15, have now been discharged and underwent a GFA-organised restorative seminar with a medical team from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Meanwhile, the government is reported to have absorbed the total expenditure on the funeral, additionally giving the bereaved families and the injured players a financial package.
BY TIMES SPORTS REPORTER
