The football family have fallen silent to pay tribute of the May 9 disaster as the country marks 18 years of its worst stadium tragedy.

Ghana was thrown into a state of mourning on May 9, 2001 when 126 football fans died after crowd trouble erupted at a hotly disputed game between arch rivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak.

The deaths were triggered by a stampede which erupted as fans attempted to escape from tear gas fumed the police were using to stop a fans who had ripped off seats and hurled them unto the tracks at the Accra Sports Stadium in protest at a Hearts of Oak goal.

The disaster was the worst of its kind in Africa and many close observes of Ghana football say it has played a major role in turning Ghanaian football stadiums into empty arenas with attendances on a sharp decline.