By Patrick Akoto
African football sits at yet another crossroad in its search for credibility after farcical and violent scenes rocked Ghana’s 3-0 win over host Equatorial Guinea which put them into the final against Cote D’voire.
The home fans hurled bottles at the Ghanaian players as they made their way into the tunnel after the first half.
The Black Stars recorded the massive win with goals from Jordan Ayew, Mubarak Wakaso and stand-in captain Andre Ayew in Malabo as they cruise to the final and set-up a meeting against neighbours Ivory Coast on Sunday.
But the chaotic scenes put a damper on an African Cup of Nations tournament that has been hastily put together in a matter of over just two months.
Sensing their imminent failure to progress to the finals, the irate fans threw bottles in the direction of the visitors’ teams’ dugout as the crowd roared and stamped its feet on the metal floors of Malabo Stadium, leaving the Ghanaian supporters in abject fear for their lives.
The game was held up for over 20 minutes as riot police with helmets and shields moved over to the trouble before calm was restored.
The police helicopter hovered around the pitch with the Ghana fans leaving in real danger, as they fear for the lives.
It looked like a war zone with the shameful incident expected to cast a slur on Africa’s flagship tournament.
The niggling nature of Thursday’s game takes away the gloss off near-heroic efforts by CAF and the hosts to offer an international standard of playing facilities in a country of sparse resources.
Oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, where ostentatious displays of wealth sit uncomfortably alongside poverty, stepped in rescue the Nations Cup after Morocco were stripped of the right to host it because they sought a postponement for fears over the Ebola virus.
Scepticism over Equatorial Guinea was heightened by coaches’ complaints over hotels and transport in the opening days of the tournament, but then tempered by the realisation of a genuine desire on the part of the hosts to offer the best possibility facilities.
All those efforts, however, are now overshadowed by Thursday's violent incident.
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