Ignore racist chants at Russia 2018 - Laryea

Former Ghana international Laryea Kingston claims racist chants in Russia could affect African teams at the 2018 Fifa World Cup, if not properly handled.

The 34-year-old midfielder was reacting to a recent alleged racial abuse on Ghana’s Emmanuel Frimpong during a football match with his club Ufa in the Russian Premier League.

Frimpong was expulsed after raising a finger in reaction to chants from Spartak Moscow supporters, and was subsequently handed a two-match ban.

“Racist behaviour on the pitch will affect African teams during the 2018 Fifa World Cup if they pay too much attention to that,” Kingston told Starr FM.

“They should go out there and concentrate on their game which would be the sole reason of their presence in the country.”

Kingston is familiar with the Russian league, having played for Terek Grozny, Krylia Sovetov Samara and Lokomotiv Moscow.

He urged potential African representatives at the upcoming Fifa World Cup to ignore racial incidents that could distract them from the tournament.

“Racist attitudes will surely surface during the competition. However, my advice to Africans is to completely ignore them and focus on the game,” he said.