A first division league encounter between Cape Coast Venomous Vipers and Mpohor Iron Fighters was called off on Sunday because the Cape Coast Police command could not guarantee the safety of the visiting team.
A blue Benz bus with registration number GT 3692 F carrying officials and players of Iron Fighters was attacked hours before the scheduled kick off time by angry fans for an apparent no reason.
The team manager Mr Louis Des Bordes and three others, Bartholomew Budu, Stephen Hanson and Michael Awusi sustained various degree of injury, while the windscreen and the side glasses were broken.
ASP Henry Amankwatia, who was in charge of security at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, told the GNA Sports on Monday at Cape Coast that his outfit was informed of a planned attack by some aggrieved fans on the visitors in revenge of an earlier attack on supporters of their "brothers" Ebusua Dwarfs.
He said subsequently, 40 policemen were deployed to beef up security. But, after a pre-match meeting at about 12.30 PM, three officials of the team, were attacked by about 10 young men who had laid ambush outside the conference room.
One of the young men, was arrested and locked up at the offices of the regional Sports Development Officer, but his colleagues later invaded the premise to free him.
According to ASP Amankwatia, in the afternoon, at about 2 P.M., a mob attacked the bus of the visiting team just at the entrance of the main stadium gate with sticks and stones.
He said at that time, most of his men had positioned themselves in the stadium and before they could get to the scene, the mob had dispersed.
Sensing danger, Mr Amankwatia asked the driver of the bus to park at the police station and informed the match officials to call of the game because he could not guarantee the safety of the visiting team.
He said even after Accra-based class one referee Ernest S.B. Allabi, had called off the match at about 4 P.M, the mob still pursued the team, who the police escorted to Elmina on their way back home.
Meanwhile, Mr Kweku Ackah Yensu, Director of Vipers has appealed to the GFA to award them the maximum three points and three goals since Iron Fighters did not on the pitch for the match.
