Minyila visits injured Ghanaian soccer fans

Colonel George Minyila (rtd) Ghana's ambassador to Burkina Faso with oversight responsibility on Mali arrived in Bamako on Friday to visit Ghanaian supporters who were injured by Burkinabe fans after the Black Stars win over the Stallions in Mopti on Wednesday.

Colonel Minyila met with the supporters at the former Ghana Embassy and interacted with them about the fracas that led to their injuries. He said he was tasked by the ministry of Foreign Affairs to get an on-the-spot report of the incident and report back to Accra.

The Ambassador said it was believed in official circles that some lives were lost and thanked God that the report of deaths was incorrect. Colonel Minyila took the names of those who sustained injuries and gave them 10 thousand FCFA to take a taxi to the Black Stars CAN village camp to see the team doctor Fordjour for further examination and treatment.

He told the supporters not to be intimidated by any person or group of persons but to continue with their support of the Black Stars in their quest to annex the African Cup. The supporters had arrived Bamako from Mopti the previous night and are accommodated at the former Ghana Embassy.

They arrived with a damaged trombone, which the Malian police had retrieved from militant Burkinabe supporters who tormented them after the Stars-Stallions match. Two trumpets, which were also seized from the group could however not be found and no arrests have so far been made by the Malian police.

Emmanuel Amponsah and Francis Chi Chong Koo were stabbed while a gorge was opened in Philip Adom's head with a rock. William Boateng, Thomas Boateng and Kudjo Asagba were also manhandled and in the process, Asagba lost a Kodak camera while Thomas had his wallet containing 100 dollars snatched. Another member of the group who was reported missing surfaced an hour later and said he went into hiding to save his life.