The Ghanaian ice-cream vendor who saved lives

May 9, 2001, is a date forever etched into Ghana’s collective memory — a day when joy turned to horror at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The stadium was packed with over 40,000 fans, all there to witness a much-anticipated match between fierce rivals, Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko.

But what began as a routine football game would descend into one of Africa’s worst sporting tragedies.

The match ended in heartbreak for Kotoko fans as Hearts of Oak scored two late goals. Tensions rose. Bottles were thrown. And then came the tear gas.

In a panic, thousands of fans scrambled to escape the noxious fumes. But the stadium’s gates were locked. People pressed against one another, unable to move.

One hundred and twenty-six lives were lost that evening — crushed or suffocated in the chaos. Families were broken. The nation was shaken.

But buried beneath the pain and headlines was a story that had never been told — until now.

Pulse Ghana recently unearthed the remarkable tale of a quiet hero: Kwame, a humble ice cream vendor working outside the stadium that day.

As the disaster unfolded, Kwame saw the crowd surging toward the gates near his vending spot.

He watched as people gasped for air, eyes red and stinging from the tear gas, children separated from parents, screams echoing. Without thinking of his own safety, he sprang into action.

Using his metal-framed ice cream cart, Kwame rammed into one of the smaller gates repeatedly until it broke open.

Through that narrow exit, dozens — perhaps hundreds — of panicked fans found a path to safety.

And that wasn’t all.

From his now-toppled cart, Kwame began handing out his ice creams — not for money, but as makeshift relief for those overcome by the burning gas and heat.

The cold, sweet treat offered some comfort to gasping throats and trembling hands. In a moment of despair, ice cream — of all things — became a symbol of hope, of calm amid chaos.

For 24 years, Kwame never told his story. He didn’t seek reward or recognition. Perhaps he thought what he did wasn’t extraordinary.

But for those whose lives he saved, and for a country still grappling with the weight of that day, his actions were nothing short of heroic.

Now, finally, Ghana is hearing his story — a story not just of loss and tragedy, but of humanity, courage, and the power of one person to make a difference when it matters most.