Two Ghanaian soccer fans are believed to have been killed following last Thursday’s uproar at the estadio de Malabo during the semi-final match of the ongoing africa cup of Nations between Ghana and hosts Equatorial Guinea.
According to some Ghanaians resident in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, they are keeping a low profile for fear of being attacked by locals after the 3-0 thrashing of Equatorial Guinea by Ghana and the violence that erupted at the stadium.
Others disclosed that they were attacked by locals and escaped by the skin of their teeth.
A trip to a popular joint (Kala Kolas) where Ghanaian dishes are served yesterday saw the pub closed down.
Operator of the pub by name Joe, a Ghanaian, said, “We are afraid they will attack us; that is why we are not operating today. They keep threatening us even as we sit here.
“It was terrible after the game. We hear two Ghanaians are dead but this has not been confirmed yet. So we are extra careful,” he added.
He said foreigners believed to be Ghanaians were beaten everywhere they were found, and those wearing Ghanaian colours had to seek refuge with the security agencies.
Ghanaians resident in Malabo are currently living in fear, he claimed.
Readers will recall the hooliganism that characterised the semi-final clash of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations between Ghana and Equatorial Guinea.
It was an embarrassing spectacle that marred the beauty of an otherwise wellorganised tournament.
For over 20 minutes, the referee had to stop the match, as Ghanaian fans rushed onto the running tracks of the field in an attempt to escape the wrath of the home fans.
Equatorial Guinea were 3-0 down in the 82nd minute when the incident occurred.
The Ghanaian fans were pelted with rocks, bottles and other missiles by the irate home fans due to discontent and frustrationSecurity personnel had no option but to escort the Ghana fans with the help of riot shields to the edge of the playing field.
At a point, some home fans ripped up chairs and threw them on the running tracks.
During the temporal hold up, a fan from nowhere ran furiously onto the pitch to assault the referee, but the security men reacted swiftly when he was inches away from his target and bundled him away.
After the game, Ghanaian journalists and fans who travelled from Accra for the game were given special escorts to their respective hotels and the Ghana Embassy respectively after the match.
Meanwhile, the Disciplinary Panel of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has handed out a $100,000 fine on Equatorial Guinea for the unruly behaviour of their fans during the game.
As part of the sanctions, the government of Equatorial Guinea has also been ordered by CAF to cover the cost of treatment of all injured persons during the match.
Below is the full statement by CAF:
The Disciplinary Panel of CAF meeting on 6 February, 2015 in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, reviewed the reports of match officials following the incidents that marred the Match No. 30 of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations between Ghana and Equatorial Guinea. The match under review, counting for the semi-finals of the competition, was played in Malabo Thursday, 5 February, 2015.
Pursuant to Articles 82, 83 and 151 of the Disciplinary Code of CAF, respectively related to the principles of conduct, responsibility and safety in the organisation of games, the disciplinary panel decided:
• To have the Equatorial Guinean Party cover the cost of treatment of all injured persons during the match.
• To impose on the Equatorial Guinean Federation a fine of US$100,000 (One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) for aggressive behaviour and being repeat offenders.
• To have the team of Equatorial Guinea play their next game behind closed doors/in camera and without spectators.
• However, to promote a spirit of Fair-play and brotherhood during the AFCON 2015, the Disciplinary Panel decided to suspend the match behind closed doors provided that spectators were not guilty of such an offense in the 3rd/4th place classification match.
In the event of a repeat of identical incidents during the classification match on 7 February 2015, the disciplinary panel of CAF will automatically impose the sanction of playing behind closed doors the Equatorial Guinean team’s next official match.
These decisions were reached against an order made to the Equatorial Guinea Federation on 26 January, 2015 after the match, Gabon vs Equatorial Guinea, and a fine of US$ 5,000 imposed on 3 February on the same federation after the match Tunisia vs Guinea Equatorial for the behaviour of fans of the host country of the Orange AFCON2015.
In the Match No 30 in Malabo, at least 36 people injured were identified by the medical teams present at the stadium following the incidents that marred the game. All the injured were supported and attended to on site. A total of 14 were transferred to hospital units for further investigations with one case requiring close monitoring.
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