By Durosimi Thomas BBC Sport Online

It's been a year since 126 fans lost their lives in Africa's worst football tragedy at the Accra Sports Stadium in Ghana.

The disaster occurred at the end of a league match between Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak, when the police fired tear gas to control irate fans throwing chairs onto the pitch.

But it seems that no lessons have been learnt from the disaster.

126 fans lost their lives

Despite the intensive campaign by the media and club officials to stem trouble at matches, reports of violence persist.

Last season, a fan in possession of a gun at a subsequent game against Hearts of Oak was arrested. Referees were frequently assaulted.

Violence

Sadly, Nothing seems to have changed either in the new season, which is five weeks old.

Two days before Thursday's anniversary, there were ugly scenes at a league match between Okwawu United and Liberty Professionals in Accra.

Okwawu fans threw missiles unto the pitch and destroyed an advertising board hoarding, forcing a three-minute stoppage.

Police had to be reinforced in that section of the stadium.

A Super Cup match between Kotoko and Hearts, which was to kick-off the 2002 season, was cancelled due to security concerns.

Fans died on this stadium's staircase

The Commission of Inquiry set up to probe the cause of last year's incident blamed the police for an excessive use of force.

It recommended that the police should be properly trained to deal with crowds at stadiums.

But Ghanaian football officials and fans have criticised the commission's report for not blaming the fans that provoked the disaster.

The best tribute that Ghanaian football can pay the departed souls is to ensure that no tragedy of that magnitude occurs again.