Ebusua Dwarfs coach Ernest Thompson Quartey says he was beaten like a common criminal by thugs of Berekum Chelsea FC during a Ghana Premier League fixture on Sunday.
The gaffer was captured in a wheelchair after he was pummeled by supporters of the home team for allegedly carrying black magic “juju”.
The incident has fueled the volatile crowd trouble that has crippled this season’s league and put further sticks in the administration of the game in the country.
And the coach, who is recuperating in Mankessim has told Tarkwa-based Medeamaa FM that he was beaten to a pulp like a thief.
“What happened is barbaric and should never happen again to anyone. I was beaten like a thief. I still have body pains as we speak,” he told Medeamaa FM
“They (fans) I was holding juju and so they pounced on me and beat me like a common criminal.”
“We played the first match, we said our prayer with the prayers and just as we were going into the dressing room, then about 30 supporters in front of the dressing room. They wanted to search me because they were suspecting I had juju [black magic] on me,” Thompson said in a video posted on social media.
“So when I said No. It was only my phone and other things, they forcibly opened my zip and all that and when I tried to resist, they started punching me, held my leg, I fell down, some were kicking me.”
“This shouldn’t be happening in Ghana football in this day and age. We[Ghana] have come of age, we are in the scientific world to be pummelled, kicked, and all that.”
“I have a family at home. I can’t die because of football.”
The melee happened after the first half when the visitors were making their way into the dressing room at the Golden City Park with a 1-0 lead.
Dwarfs opened the scoring through Enoch Afram in the 23rd minute but Chelsea stormed back with Kofi Owusu netting the winning goal after 83 minutes.
After the match, Thompson had his shirt torn and had to leave the stadium with his left arm bandaged.
This incident is a slap in the face of Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku who toured the Bono and Ahafo Regions to engage clubs and their supporters to put up the suitable decorum and stop hooliganism.
source: Ghana Soccer Net
