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The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is mourning the death of eight juvenile players, who perished in an accident last Saturday, September 19, after the vehicle on which they were travelling plunged into the River Offin.

Four of the accident victims, currently in critical condition, are on admission at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

In all, 36 people, including juvenile players and handlers of the Africa Vision Soccer Academy, were involved in the fatal accident, and those sustaining various degrees of injury are also being treated at the hospital.

The incident occurred as the players and officials, on board a KIA mini bus with registration number AS 928-12, were returning to their base after a league registration exercise at Afrancho on the Kumasi-Offinso road.

Preliminary police investigations have cited the driver for over-speeding, which is believed to be the major contributory factor resulting in the accident.

“This incident has come as a big shock to the juvenile football fraternity,” Mr. Samuel Otoo, Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Juvenile Football Committee, lamented in an interview with the GNA Sports, Kumasi.

He described as unfortunate circumstances leading to the demise of the promising young talents and appealed to the Ghana Police Service to intensify investigations into the incident.

“The Regional Football Association (RFA) and its parent body, the Ghana Football Association (GFA), are devastated by the latest development,” he noted.

Mr. Otoo extended the Associations’ heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families, saying the authorities remained in solidarity with them.

The Regional Juvenile Football Committee, meanwhile, has toured the various hospitals in which the accident victims were on admission, to wish them well.