What occurred on Sunday, February 2, 2025, within the match between Nsoatreman FC and Asante Kotoko at the Nana Kronamansah Park just isn’t an remoted case or a uncommon prompt. It’s a mirrored image of steady barbaric acts which have been neglected through the years in Ghana soccer.
It’s fairly unlucky a fan misplaced his life; nevertheless, it’s not the primary time such has occurred within the final decade. And sorry to say it won’t be final time we witness one thing like that once more if important measures, modifications, and stringent punishments are usually not carried out after the brutal stabbing of staunch Asante Kotoko supporter Francis Yaw Frimpong, popularly known as Nana Pooley.
The final decade has seen a number of incidents of maximum fan conduct, abandoning tragic penalties and highlighting the pressing want for reform.
Listed here are 5 of essentially the most notorious acts of hooliganism in recent times.
1. Assistant referee killed after assault in 2014
In March 2014, assistant referee Kwame Andoh Kyei was brutally attacked throughout a lower-tier match between Gold Stars and Naa Joe United in Bordie. Kyei, solely 21, was assaulted by followers and suffered extreme accidents, finally dying from the injuries simply days after the incident.
His loss of life despatched shockwaves by Ghanaian soccer, and the GFA described him as some of the promising younger referees. This tragic occasion underscored the acute violence that might erupt within the warmth of soccer competitors.
2. Hearts of Oak followers flood the pitch in 2016
The 2016 match between Hearts of Oak and Wa All Stars (now Legon Cities) turned ugly when Hearts of Oak followers expressed their displeasure with referee choices by throwing bottles and water sachets onto the pitch.
The incident prompted important disruptions throughout the match, forcing officers to cease the sport. Hearts of Oak had been subsequently handed a three-match dwelling ban and fined GH¢12,000. The assault on match officers highlighted the rising downside of fan violence in Ghanaian soccer.
3. Referee Theresa Bremansu assaulted in 2019
In some of the stunning instances of violence in opposition to a feminine referee, Theresa Bremansu was bodily attacked throughout a girls’s league match between Jail Girls and Ampem Darkoa Ladies. Bremansu had not added additional time after the ninetieth minute, angering Jail Girls supporters.
Following the match, gamers and sympathizers of Jail Girls beat Bremansu. Safety intervened to avoid wasting her, however the membership was fined GH¢5,000 by the GFA. This incident raised severe considerations in regards to the security of officers in soccer.
4. Asante Kotoko supporter shot in 2020
In 2020, a fan of Asante Kotoko, Augustine Oppong, was shot within the eye following violent protests on the Baba Yara Stadium. The group had develop into enraged after a controversial refereeing resolution throughout Kotoko’s 1-0 loss to Berekum Chelsea. Followers started hurling missiles onto the pitch, and after the match, violence escalated, leading to Oppong being shot by a police officer.
Fortunately, he underwent a profitable surgical procedure. The Ghana Soccer Affiliation imposed a short lived ban on Kotoko after the incident.
5. Samartex FC officers and gamers crushed in 2022
In a Division One League match in 2022, Skyy FC followers attacked officers and gamers of Samartex FC after their staff drew 1-1. Livid over the consequence, the followers assaulted gamers and workers of Samartex, resulting in widespread outrage.
The incident resulted in Skyy FC being handed a house ban by the GFA, which finally price the membership an opportunity for promotion to the highest flight. Samartex filed a police report, however no arrests had been made.
With stadium attendance already at an all-time low, the current incident is a make or break interval for the home league. The Ghana Soccer Affiliation (GFA) and safety companies can both use this as a turning level to vary the fortunes of the league or watch on as the sport heads into oblivion.
