He sustained serious injuries in a car accident at Kpevi when returning with Real Republicans after their league win against Volta Heroes in Mar 1963.
READ MORE: Ex-teammate of Manuel Nauer found alive four years after being declared dead
Kofi Pare who was part of the Real Republicans team in an interview recently said the 23- seater bus skidded off the road in a curve in a slippery road and hit an embankment. Yara, seated near the main door, was thrown out of the bus and he might have been trampled by his colleagues in the stampede to get out of the bus.
Twelve other players, Agyemang Gyau, Kofi Pare, E. C. Oblitey, Dodoo Ankrah, Shitta, Edward Boateng, Carl Lokko, Wiliam Gibirine, Otto Odametey, S. Y. Tetteh, Salifu Musa and Dodoo Quartey sustained slight injuries. They were sent to Ho Hospital from where they were flown to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra. Most of them were discharged within a few days.
Yara, accompanied by Dr R. O. Addae, a surgical specialist from the 37 Military Hospital was flown to England where he was treated at the famous Stoke Mandeville Hospital for spinal injuries. He remained in a wheelchair until his death on 5th May 1969.
Baba Yara and Dogo Moro were the two Kotoko players who were transferred from Asante Kotoko_SC to Real Republicans in the 1961/62 season.
Yara is widely regarded as the greatest dribbler and playmaker Ghana has ever seen. His legendary status lives on after his death.
The biggest stadium in Ghana, the Baba Yara Sports Stadium formerly called the Kumasi Sports Stadium has been named after him.