Accra, Jan. 3, GNA - The Board of Trustees of the Accra Sports Stadium Disaster Relief Fund has commended the players of Accra hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko, the thousands of enthusiastic supporters and the match officials for their total exhibition of sportsmanship and high sense of responsibility that ensured an incident-free Confederation Cup first leg match played at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra last Sunday.

The Trustees also congratulated all sports loving Ghanaians for their prayers and comportment that ensured an-incident free match of the Confederation Cup first leg encounter.

In a Press Release copied to the GNA Sports, the Board said it believed that last Sunday's football match that ended in a drawn game would rank as one of the most memorable occasions in the history of cup matches in the country.

The release said "It is sad to remind ourselves of the unfortunate and tragic incident of May 9, 2001, but it was real and it happened before our naked eyes when 127 of our compatriots lost their lives in what should have been pure entertainment and an avoidable incident". The Trustees said it was their prayer and hope that with all the lessons learnt over the past four years, Ghanaians are resolved that never again would a football match be turned into a war that will lead to the loss of so many lives.

It said that now that the first leg is over "we wish to remind Ghanaians that the second leg in Kumasi, next Sunday will be more crucial and more fiercely contested since the victorious side will be the proud winner of the first ever Confederation Cup".

The Board of Trustees is therefore appealing to all and sundry to see next Sunday's match as another friendly encounter and to avoid any acts that could lead to violence, especially after the match and prayed that may the better side win and become the gallant holders of the Cup.